Evolution of a code system

Fair warning: highly technical library cataloging talk in this specific post.  May have soporific effects on non-catalogers.

When the Library here first got OCLC, we were assigned 4-character codes for types of materials.  OCLC used these codes (in part) to assign the ‘above the call number’ indicators like “REF” for Reference materials, or “VIDEO” for videocassettes, [...]

Ebooks and other bib types

What seems logical to librarians (ebooks from publisher A have one bibliographic record, ebooks from publisher B have another record, another type of format has a different bibliographic record, etc.) doesn’t necessarily make it easy for the average user.  Most people just want all the options in one place to consider, without having to switch [...]

Computer Helpers ready (more or less) to roll….

I’ve got all but the Programming tab page done, and that’s a new one I haven’t covered before.  I’ll probably use that page mostly to separate the programming languages.
So, disclaimer in place on that page, I think Computers Helpers is up and reasonably functional.  I’ll try to start changing links in the catalog over next [...]

Another day, another icon

We have a few titles in the catalog that are both online databases and available in paper:  Value Line, the Arkansas Code, for examples.
I had a request to come up with a new icon to show in the search results that indicated the materials available, rather than one or the other.
The problem is, we’ve maxed [...]

tabs in the catalog

Working on the catalog display in Innovative (III) today and making these notes to myself.
I originally used the May 2007 set downloaded from III, with some modifications I picked up at IUG, for the version I brought out in August 2007.
The campus standard HAD been to accomodate 800×600 displays, and I didn’t want people using [...]