Don't like the Seattle Public Library's Java applet catalog interface? A new web interface is out for beta testing, and works with most popular browsers. The Java applet version is being discontinued. The Telnet version is still the fastest and easiest to use, despite the pages of "announcements" and such. (I once wrote a script for Lisa for her birthday that interfaces with the telnet connection to download her list of checked out materials and due dates. Aren't I sweet! She adapted it into a web page, and her weblog readers really dug checking her list regularly. Weirdos. It's no longer linked from her weblog; I wonder if she'd get mad if I linked to its new location. :)
June 7, 2002
comments...
Oh man, I hated that java applet so much! this new catalog is pretty full featured and makes a lotof the search capabilities of this dynix system a lot more apparent. Just a few criticisms:
1. when you are on the main page, clicking on the "search" tab just gets you to the same search, just with more clickable options along the top bar, and a few more in the drop-down -- no reasons these can't be available on the main screen, or why the advanced set of boxes can't be shown right off the bat there.
2. the help file is stock form the vendor with the disclaimer that "Some features described in this guide may not be available because your library's iPac system administrator has customized iPac" you'd think if they went through all the trouble to customize the iPac they might also customize the help. the help is not super helpful but fortunately the catalog is very easy to use.
3. on the main page, the keyword search is described as "topic or subject words" this is actually the same as a keyword search but for some reason is called something different.
4. focus. the page with the catalog on it grabs focus on your browser when a search is complete. I've been doing searches as I typed this and keep getting thrown forcibly back to the iPac page when it's done looking up my records.
these are all just small potatoes compared to how tough to use and confusing the old catalog was, I think the new catalog is basically great.
The worst part about the old Java applet was that it just plain crashed on some platforms, like Macs. Libraries ought to be open to everyone, regardless of race, religion, or technological orientation. That made the telnet option particularly choice, because even the crappiest of computers (PDP terminal over 2400 baud) could access powerful library resources. Just on principle, I hope they never drop support for the telnet option. (The new web interface seems to work well with Mozilla 1.0, so I'm guessing it works with Moz1.0 on all platforms.)
It annoyed me when the UW library system went with an all-Microsoft solution. It was a pretty good solution, but it required IE for Windows to do most stuff, and ran on MS servers. Not sure if it's still that way; maybe they've improved cross-browser compatability, though I'm sure they're still using the same software from a while ago.