The catalog update launched just over a month ago, and we would like to share some new updates and information on feedback you have sent us. Some background info first: our vendor provides quarterly updates and enhancements which we evaluate and choose whether to implement. They also maintain an active idea exchange where we can propose and vote on future enhancements. This is why we value your feedback so much – the more input we can provide our vendor, the more we can help improve the system!
February marks the first vendor update to the catalog. There are two new features we’d like to share:
1. Renew selected loans
Previously, you could either renew everything with one click or manually renew each item one by one which was tedious. You can now check the items you wish to renew and then click the “Renew Selected” button.
2. Increase visibility of citations
One strategy for searching for articles is to follow where they are cited. Articles that are frequently cited or include citations to other popular articles display a red arrow icon. These icons are now visible in your search result list.
Icons displayed in search results from left to right: Sources citing this result, Sources cited in the result, Citation, Email, Save to favorites, More options
Known Issues
- Slowness!
The new catalog is unfortunately slower than the previous version. We used to load 50 results at a time; we decreased that to 30 to try to address the slowness when we launched in January. Right now, we’re only showing 10 at a time which is not ideal. Our vendor is aware of the issue and made some adjustments last year to improve things, but there is still a long way to go. For now, the best we can do is continue to raise the problem and demand a better fix.
- Clicking a result displays a blank white page
We made some adjustments to our code which seemed to fix the issue. Right now we have not seen the error recur, though we have received a report of it happening again. If you encounter this, please send us feedback and tell us what you searched for, the type of search you did (regular search, advanced search, journal search), and what browser you used.
The next vendor update will be in May. We will keep you posted on improvements and known issues this semester. And don’t forget to let us know if you encounter something that’s not working or have suggestions for improvement! You can use the “Feedback” link in the catalog or access the form here.
