Brown University Library News

By Marielle Segarra
Posted: 1/23/08
Students returning to campus this week will see the benefits of “MyJosiah,” an addition to Josiah, the University’s online library catalog. The new features will allow users to save searches, spell check and improve word search results, among other changes, said Bonnie Buzzell ’72, senior knowledge systems librarian.
The library implemented the changes on Jan. 7, but the site is a “work in progress,” Buzzell said. “The functionality is there, but it needs a lot more work before it can become something we’re truly proud of,” she said as she explained Josiah’s new features to a room full of librarians at the Rockefeller Library.
Some of the new features already in place include a change in Josiah’s appearance, more available links on the homepage and the ability to save both searches and a list of books that have been checked out, she said.
Buzzell also said the program will undergo further changes and will look different when finished.
“The implementation of many of the functionalities are in place, but we’re still working on the presentations,” Buzzell told the Herald.
Also, students and librarians will find more accurate search results. For example, in the future, when searching for books, students may be able to select an option that allows them to block books they have already checked out from their search results, though Buzzell isn’t sure when the change will be made. Buzzell said she hopes to have most changes fully developed by the end of the month.

Do you have a set of Gorham flatware? Are you a collector of silver hollowware? Are you interested in the history of industrial design? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, the Brown University Library needs your help. In an effort to more effectively meet the needs of patrons interested in using the Gorham Company Archive, the Library will be conducting a brief online survey. The Library has obtained funding from the Institute for Museum and Library Services to collaborate with RISD in developing a new database architecture for the visual materials in the Gorham Company Archive that will integrate information from the business and design archives of the Gorham Manufacturing Company held at the Brown University Hay Library, the Gorham silver objects and design drawing collection at The RISD Museum, and the Gorham Company’s design resource collection housed at the RISD Library. The goal of this project is to provide online searchable access to archival drawings, sketches, object photography, and product descriptions that will enable users to identify their pieces and contribute to a database of Gorham holdings.
To help us achieve a design that will be useful to all potential patrons, we are seeking input from everyone with an interest in the Gorham database. To participate in the survey, please visit: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=shgypQeX_2b1PLoEsZIhpXEg_3d_3d
THANK YOU for contributing to the success of our project! Your cooperation is purely voluntary and greatly appreciated. For further information on the Gorham database design project, feel free to contact Holly Snyder at 401-863-1515 or Holly_Snyder@brown.edu.