March 07, 2010
Toronto Public Library - beta version
The Toronto Public Library is beta testing a new website with a new look and navigation structure.
The new look is much more vibrant - scrolling banner, featured items and direct links to popular sections on the home page.
Navigation is faceted. TPL is using Endeca techology to make searching much easier through the use of facets. We get a sense of that from the search interface for Books, Video, Research - with the major categories.
Recommended Websites is really the Virtual Reference Library. TPL is the only standalone Canadian subject directory on the web. It has 22,000 resources with Canadian selections given preference.
There is tremendous cost pressure on libraries to not maintain guides to resources. Thankfully, Toronto Public Library has resisted. Directories are vitally important as a search aid for finding best sites and for getting an overview of a subject area.
For now the new interface is viewable through Recommended Websites. Later, the Virtual Reference Library will be the gateway to this collection.
Search is now AND - and there will be some advanced search features for limiting by the established facets. Categories are shown as a facet - makes it easier to browse all the categories that have results for that query. Unfortunately, the individual results do not show the indexing - and searchers need to know how a site has been categorized.
It's ready to use. And they are inviting feedback.
Posted by Gwen at March 7, 2010 03:32 PM