[Genealib] Re: design of web site (Larry Naukam)

[Libby Feil]

My department of the St. Joseph County Public Library recently began 
to move in this direction.  Currently, we have several databases of 
various types (an obituary index, an index to service notes from the 
newspaper, digitized books, etc.).  They each have their own page on 
our website (http://www.sjcpl.org/localhistory/ , then click on 
"Digital collections and databases"), which has led to 
inconsistencies in the ways the databases are presented and the ways 
they looked.  We also realized that most users don't want to go in 
and out of various databases; they want to find information on a 
particular person or place, no matter which database is in.

We considered CONTENTdm, which is built for just this purpose. 
However, for the moment it is out of our price range.  All of our 
data is currently in FileMaker Pro (which can easily import Excel 
spreadsheets, by the way, and also handles vast numbers of records). 
What we decided to do, at least for now, is create a new master 
database in FMP by merging all our databases into one.  The new 
database will include a field identifying its originating database. 
Then we will put up a new unified search page that allows users to 
search by keyword or name through all of our databases, or that gives 
them the option of just searching a particular originating database.

Check back on our website in a few months to see the result!

3/1/2007 12:20 PM

"Larry Naukam" <lnaukam at mcls.rochester.lib.ny.us>

I am looking for good examples of library web sites which allow cross 
searching of various databases internally.

The PTB (powers that be) have asked me to investigate, and to start 
with I saw Halton Hills in Canada which has a multi-database search. 
We would want something that could handle over a million names, and 
be adaptable for various entries, such as some reference to obits, 
some references to biographies, buildings, industries, and even 
scrapbooks which we have indexed.

The underlying indexes at this [point are in Excel. They can be 
massaged and moved to whatever program or site could handle this.

Any ideas? We know of evanced solutions and their genealogy products.

Thanks!
-- 

Elizabeth "Libby" Feil, Librarian

Manager, Local & Family History Services
St. Joseph County Public Library
304 So. Main Street
South Bend, IN  46601

574-235-4181
l.feil at sjcpl.org
AIM:  sjcpllibby
http://www.libraryforlife.org/localhistory/
To subscribe to our monthly Local & Family History
e-newsletter, email me at l.feil at sjcpl.org


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