[OPLINTECH] Introducing the new Ohio Web Library site

[Stephen Hedges]

Today is the first full day for the new Ohio Web Library website, http://ohioweblibrary.org. If you are still using an outdated version of IE, you may need to update your browser to see the new site.

A lot of changes have been made to the software that runs the site, so it now runs faster and provides a cleaner list of search results. We also have more control over the weighting of search results, which means we can put some custom links at the top of the list when someone does a common search. (Try a search for "legal forms," for example.)

Other than the software and search results presentation, there are three other big changes in the new Ohio Web Library search site:

1) Free Internet resources, other than websites created by OPLIN, are no longer included in the federated search. (Note, however, that links to a few selected free resources are included in the new "Sources" page, http://ohioweblibrary.org/sources.) This means that now the Ohio Web Library only presents results from premium sources and makes no attempt to emulate a general search of the Internet. This will be especially useful for students who often cannot use general "online" sources for school projects.

2) The Ohio Digital Library of ebooks and audiobooks is now included in the search results. Patrons of participating libraries can use these results to borrow or hold ebooks, and patrons from other libraries will at least get an idea from the search results of what's available on a given topic so they can check their local library's catalog.

3) On the Sources page (http://ohioweblibrary.org/sources), we have included many of the EBSCO sources that have their own individual search interface, such as the AHFS Consumer Medication Information database (in the "Health" category). Users can thus go directly to the website of a source that interests them and do their search there. As noted above, some free sources are included in the categories, but only premium Ohio Web Library sources are searched if the search box at the top of the Sources page is used; this page is really provided just as a list of links.

We'll be developing a simple "users' guide" handout for libraries in the very near future.

As always, we welcome your feedback and suggestions for improvement: http://support.oplin.org.

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Stephen Hedges, Director
Ohio Public Library Information Network (OPLIN)
2323 W. Fifth Ave., Suite 130, Columbus, OH 43204
614-728-5250  ::  hedgesst at oplin.org