[Michlib-l] MeL Minute: Search Widget Update

[Norris, Sonya (MDE)]

If you've been following the MeL Minute you'll know that we're conducting usability testing of Encore Duet, the search box on MeL. Results are coming in and we've already instituted a change that could affect your library. Read on!

One new feature of MeL this summer was tabbed searching, or the ability to differentiate between a MeLCat search and a search of Articles and eResources (which is primarily database material) right from the homepage. This lets users target their search and we were anticipating that it would lead to higher user satisfaction.

One of the options we chose when we put the tabbed searching in place was "persistent choice." That means that if a user selected MeLCat, executed a search, and then went back to the homepage, MeLCat would remain the chosen tab. From the desk in my office that seemed like a good idea but we discovered during testing that folks either forgot they had selected a particular tab, or outright expected to default back to a joint search of both MeLCat and the databases. So, we re-wrote the java script that controls for that and now each time a user returns to the homepage the search defaults to a joint search. The change affects a user's cookie session so you may need to clear your cache and cookies to see the new change.

How does this affect your library? Well, if you're using the new, tabbed search widget you'll want to update the code to the improved, usability-testing-proven version at: http://mel.org/widget/meldiscoverywidget280.html

Please note that there is code for the header, footer and body of each web page where you want to display the widget and it is found at the link above.

MeL databases are available to Michigan residents or Michigan library access only.

The MeL Minutes are brought to you by Sonya Schryer Norris and Deb Renee Biggs, Library Consultants at the Library of Michigan
@Library of Michigan MeL Team

MeL Minutes are brought to you by the Library of Michigan.  Want more information on MeL?  Stay tuned for the next MeL Minute available on many Michigan library listservs, email us at contact at mel.org<mailto:contact at mel.org>,  visit http://mel.org<http://mel.org/>, or Sign up for the MeL Minute and other Library of Michigan e-mail lists via GovDelivery<https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MILOM/subscriber/new>. We encourage you to share MeL Minutes with your colleagues and networks.


Sonya Schryer Norris
Library of Michigan
702 W. Kalamazoo St.
PO Box 30009
Lansing, MI 48909
517-373-4457

http://www.michigan.gov/libraryofmichigan
http://www.mel.org<http://www.mel.org/>
http://www.michlibrary.org<http://www.michlibrary.org/>


Nourishing Michigan's Future...during school and during the summer!  Find a Summer Food Service Program site nearest you and encourage Michigan's children to Meet Up and Eat Up!    www.michigan.gov/meetupeatup<http://www.michigan.gov/meetupeatup>

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