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Next Generation Melvyl – April Enhancements

April 28, 2009 Author: Ellen MeltzerCategories:

By Ellen Meltzer, Manager, Information Services

Over the weekend of April 19th, a number of changes were brought into Next Generation Melvyl, supported by WorldCat Local (WCL).  These changes are especially noticeable on the detailed record display.  Many of these improvements were created based on the feedback, comments, and teamwork of UC librarians, users and staff, and the work of the Assessment and the Implementation Teams.  Below is a very detailed description (http://libraries.universityofcalifornia.edu/about/oclc_docs/DetailedRecordRedesignSummary_2_.pdf) (in PDF format) of these improvements (30 pages long), along with a second PDF (http://libraries.universityofcalifornia.edu/about/oclc_docs/April_install_changes.pdf) with later changes to the original document from OCLC.

Among the changes implemented on Monday, April 20th were the following:

  • Email opens a window that allows the user to send an email with item details, including the call number
  • Print opens the print dialog box
  • Access to electronic content (“Get this item” service) has been improved
  • Smooth scrolling
  • Layered opening and closing of windows
  • Global views (header, global menus, toolbar and footer) displayed at all times on the detailed record
  • Links in the upper portion of the screen will change a bit from those now listed; users will see two possible sign-ins: one for their campus library (My library), if possible, and one for WorldCat
  • The Toolbar will now allow users to export to RefWorks and EndNote via the “Cite” option; an array of citation styles is still included
  • There are additional improvements for adding ratings, reviews, adding to lists, adding tags
  • The bibliographic data is laid out more clearly
  • More like this” links are clearer

Please note that OCLC made the following emendations to the information above, and these are described in fuller detail (http://libraries.universityofcalifornia.edu/about/oclc_docs/April_install_changes.pdf) [PDF]:

1. OCLC has made some changes to the My WorldCat menu in the Global Menus (referenced in section 2.1.2).  (Screen shots are in the attached PDF.)

2. Sending an item via e-mail.  In Section 2.2.1, OCLC described the ability to send local item information via email which included editing the message before sending.  At the present time, users will not be able to edit the subject or notes section of the email form.  With these fields being editable there is an increased risk for spamming to occur.  Within the next month or two OCLC will be adding CAPTCHA functionality (a type of challenge-response test used in computing to ensure that the response is not generated by a computer) to mitigate this risk.  At that time, OCLC will add back the ability to edit these fields.

3. An author search box has been added to author area of the details section (referenced in the attached document in section 3.1.4.)  This will conduct an au: search for the author name selected.

4. For May, OCLC will be adding an “Ask a Librarian” link to the toolbar (section 2.2) if the institution has configured a custom web link.  This link should open in a new window.