Auto-Search

There’s a great scene in one of my favorite movies, The Fifth Element, where Leeloo hides in a shower stall that slides up to save space and exposes the fridge.  Apparently, when the shower is hidden in the ceiling, this thing called “Auto-wash” comes on and cleans the shower…and Leeloo.  It also gives us a decent metaphor for Auto-Search.

During the usability testing, users would occasionally perform a search that yielded no results which resulted in a page that gave users tips on how to perform a better search (widen the scope, remove material type limits, etc.).  However, in every case, the users recognized it was a “no results”  page and immediately clicked off or performed a new search without reading the tips we carefully tested and wordsmithed.  So, instead of investing time in using the “no results” page, we invested time in making their search better for them, automagically.

Pre-Installation

You will need:
- Your library’s OCLC symbol (with Cataloging subscription)
- WorldCat Search API Key
- Sign in (or create an account) at the OCLC Services Configuration page
- Click on Settings in the upper-right hand corner
- Click on Generate API Keys and follow the directions to create a WorldCat Search API key

Hiding Links

Recently, I caught wind of a request from one IDS Search site who wanted to hide links to RefWorks. Now, the glamour shots:

Before

After

 

 

TADA!

If you’re interested in finding out how, check out the instructions after the jump.