Next Generation Melvyl Pilot – February 2010 Enhancements

February 25, 2010 Author: Ellen MeltzerCategories:

By Ellen Meltzer, Manager, CDL Information Services

Four enhancements that impact the UC Libraries Next Generation Melvyl Pilot were made by OCLC on Sunday, February 21, 2010. These changes include the following:

1. URLs for detailed records were expanded to include item titles, e.g. http://yourinstitution.worldcat.org/title/catcher-in-the-rye/oclc/287628

Users will now be able to match the title of the item they are viewing with the URL used to access it. Users can also easily build title search links to a WorldCat Local title without having to know a standard number for the item.

2. A bug has been fixed for a problem with e-mailed items on the detailed record where users received a message saying, “The E-mail message field is required. Please enter the message.”

Users affected by this bug will now be able to send links and bibliographic details, including title, author, publisher, ISBN and OCLC numbers to e-mail addresses. (Unfortunately, users are still unable to change the message that is sent: “I thought you might be interested in this item at [for example] http://melvyl.worldcat.org/oclc/57207630” .)

3. If a user is using WorldCat.org and is in an IP range that is recognized as being part of a WorldCat Local service (e.g., a UC Irvine IP range) the user will be prompted to link to that WorldCat Local instance rather than to WorldCat.org, if desired.

4. Improved messaging for electronic content items. OCLC has removed the message “Please visit your library to get this item” for electronic content where local links are displayed from the OPAC or an Open URL resolver (UC-eLinks) button. Previously this message displayed even when there was an Open URL resolver (UC-eLinks) button. (Note: OCLC defines e-content as electronic computer files, text, audio, integrating resources, visual resources, maps, scores, music, video games, and multimedia, but NOT electronic serials or articles.)

For more details, see the descriptive PDF (http://libraries.universityofcalifornia.edu/about/oclc_docs/20100221_Install_Update_Notice_2_.pdf).

OCLC also fixed two additional bugs reported by UC NGM Pilot users. One involved the use of parentheses for Boolean searches, and the second had to do with Year represented as “-1” in the facets display not returning expected results.

Thanks to our users for continuing to report problems.