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Next Generation Melvyl – Status Update; March Enhancements

March 20, 2009 Author: Ellen MeltzerCategories:

By Ellen Meltzer, Manager, Information Services

We continue our partnership with OCLC to implement NGM.  The current Melvyl and Next Generation Melvyl will run in parallel until such time as OCLC has met UC’s critical needs for the Melvyl Catalog.  The decision to move completely to NGM supported by WCL will not be finalized until UC is confident that UC’s service needs are met.

There were a number of enhancements brought into Next Generation Melvyl supported by WorldCat Local (WCL) on Sunday, March 15.  They include the following (and are described in greater detail as a PDF below this posting):

  • Saving a search from a search results page
  • More display options for lists
  • Larger list sizes
  • View counts on lists and profiles
  • Library affiliation privacy setting
  • Cover art on search results and editions pages
  • WorldCat Keyword Search Widget
  • Searching 776 OCLC number from associated eSerial or eBook number

This last item affects UC’s users in a positive way.  For serials, with UC’s policy of single-record technique, our e-access is very frequently associated with the print version record.  If a user has limited a search to e-versions through faceting, this feature is likely to be a very big help.  This also means our libraries need not switch the UC cataloging policy for serials to separate record technique, which would be extremely costly.

UC’s cataloging policy for e-monographs is separate record technique.  From now until Shared Cataloging Program (SCP) reclamation is completed for e-monographs, this change will result in some payoff.  After reclamation is completed, OCLC’s change would be moot.

You can find detailed information on these enhancements at (http://libraries.universityofcalifornia.edu/about/oclc_docs/20090315_InstallUpdate_Notice4.pdf).