Reference at Newman Library

Tag: OneSearch

Odd Behavior from Firefox with OneSearch

Recent versions of Firefox have created an odd problem in OneSearch that is essentially benign but still annoying. If the user starts a search from the search box on our library website and if the user puts quotes around any part of the query, then the search results are displayed with this Firefox window asking you if you want to save or open a file download for pdsLogin:

File download window in search results

If you see this file download window, you can just close it and get back to the search results. Please note that you won’t see this problem once you run searches from within the OneSearch interface; the problem only appears after your initial search from the search widget on the library website.

This problem is showing up for all Primo customers (not just CUNY). Ex Libris is aware of the problem and is working on a fix to the code that should be available soon.

Updates to OneSearch

Allie Verbovetskaya at the CUNY Office of Library Services (she’s the University Web and Mobile Systems Librarian) shared with the Public Services Committee a list of recent updates to the OneSearch system that we should all be aware of:

On Sunday, August 27, 2017, our instance of OneSearch was updated to the latest service pack release of the underlying discovery software. This was a major update and includes many new or updated features:

  • Email Security Improvements
  • Sticky Facets
  • Multiple Facet Selection
  • Sort in “My Saved Items”
  • Featured Results
  • Support of RSS Feeds
  • Personalized Results
  • Search Expansion with Controlled Vocabulary
  • Resource Recommender

You can read more about these features on the “What’s New @ OLS57” blog: https://ols57.commons.gc.cuny.edu/

If you have any questions about these updates, feel free to ask me about them.

Library Catalog and SFX Down for Maintenance on August 2 [SEE UPDATE}

The library catalog and the SFX service (which powers the “Find it @ CUNY” button in our databases and the “View Now” button in OneSearch) will be down from 8 am to 12:30 pm on Wednesday, August 2. Here are some workarounds:

To find books and other items we have listed in the catalog

  • Use OneSearch (select “Books + Articles + Videos” in the yellow search box) but be aware that real time availability of items won’t be working

To find the full text of an article found in OneSearch

  • Use  the “Journals” section option in the yellow search box

To find the full text of an ebook found in OneSearch

  • Look at the details of the record in OneSearch to see what platform the book is on, then go to the databases page to get a direct link to that ebook platform

UPDATE 31 July 2017: CUNY has cancelled this maintenance work. All systems will be working.

Feedback Needed on New Interface for OneSearch

This spring the CUNY Office of Library services (CUNY OLS) is asking all CUNY library staff to help kick the tires of the new interface for OneSearch, which has been running in parallel since last fall as CUNY OLS has been setting it up. As feedback rolls in this spring, CUNY OLS will fix any bugs and begin to customize the interface for each campus in selected ways.

Please take a look at the new interface, compare it to the old one, run test searches in each, and share any issues or concerns you have with Mike Walkman or with me.

Current interface:

New interface:

What is the CUNY OLS timeline?

  • June 2017
    • Soft rollout of new interface. Old interface is removed and new one replaces it.
    • Concentrated efforts on identifying and fixing bugs and customizations (CUNY-wide and local)
  • August 2017
    • Official rollout

What is new?

  • Designed to work equally well in mobile screens as well as larger ones
  • URLs are no longer session based (this means you can copy and paste URLs in the address bar to return to a search or a found item)
  • Modern design that is less cluttered and overwhelming
  • Options that were hidden away behind tabs and drop down menus are now much more visible
  • More opportunities to customize the interface

What customizations haven’t yet been made?

  • Local branding (campus logos, campus color schemes)
  • Labeling of functions and options to match the current interface

Selected Library Systems Down on April 10

On Monday, April 10, between 9 am and 2 pm, CUNY CIS will be doing maintenance on servers that will directly impact a number of key library systems.

Systems that will be affected

SFX: The Find It! button in our databases and the View Now button in OneSearch will not be able to connect you to full text.

Library catalog: You won’t be able to connect to the catalog at all.

OneSearch: The “View Now” button will not be able to connect to full text. Although you will be able to use OneSearch as as a replacement for the library catalog to find records, you will not be able to get real-time information on availability (i.e., you won’t be able to know if an item is checked out), to renew loans, or to request items.

These systems, which are locally hosted or hosted on vendor servers, will not be affected: Remote access to databases, interlibrary loan, LibGuides, study room reservations.

Workarounds

Books: Run your search in OneSearch (select “Books + Articles + Videos” in the search bar) but remember that real-time availability info will not be working.

Articles: Use a specific library database for subject searches or use the Journals search system for known-item searches.

As soon as the system is back up, look for an email on CULIBS and a blog post here.

Videos from Kanopy Now Findable in OneSearch

As of this week, all videos that are available to us from Kanopy are findable in OneSearch. Our subscription to Kanopy uses a patron-driven acquisition model. Rather than buy access to the whole collection of streaming videos, our subscription is set up so that when any given video is streamed a certain number of times, we automatically purchase it. This model is especially useful because it allows faculty and others to preview a video before we commit to actually purchasing it. While we do not want to impede use, we want to be mindful about when we will recommend Kanopy to users, especially to faculty members. Kanopy is not best used for a one-time film viewing in class (if the faculty has alerted us, we can have the DVD for them to use instead), or for watching clips (we can work with the faculty member to create a clip collection).