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Melvyl Central Index: Change in Language for Authentication Screen; Removal of SCIPIO

March 2, 2012 Author: Ellen MeltzerCategories:

Based on user input, CDL has made the following changes to the Melvyl Central Index Pilot with the endorsement of the Melvyl Central Index task group:
1. The language on the Authentication screen has been modified.
2. The SCIPIO: Art and Rare Book Sales Catalog database was removed from the Central Index for the remainder of the Melvyl Central Index pilot. SCIPIO is a specialized and relatively little used database within the UC libraries. In recent years, annual systemwide usage has been in the high 300’s—extremely low when considering that some databases have more than one million searches annually. CDL will remove it from the Central Index because it adversely affects the Author search field in the Advanced search screen.

Authentication Screen Changes

We have altered the language of one of the links on the Authentication screen from “continue as guest” to “ENTER AS GUEST for library materials and free resources; NO LOGIN NEEDED” so that users have a better chance of seeing and understanding the Guest link, and continuing on. We hope this will make it clearer to those using Melvyl, including our QuestionPoint 24/7 digital reference partners from other institutions, that they can continue on and use the service.

Removal of SCIPIO

Since the Central Index pilot began, CDL has received user feedback expressing confusion about what appears in the Melvyl Advanced Search screen for Author searches:


Because SCIPIO is included in the Central Index, the search fields are named using the lowest common denominator of search fields in the incorporated databases.  With SCIPIO included, the Author field is described as “Auctioneer & Auction House, Author”.  This is confusing to our users who do not understand that they can still conduct a traditional Author search in this box.

With SCIPIO removed from the Central Index, the Advanced Search screen labels return to their previous names:


SCIPIO will still be available for searching in its native interface from campus libraries’ Websites, where most researchers likely begin their searches.  The main loss in removing it from the Central Index would be that users unaware of the database would no longer discover it in searching Melvyl.