WEBBRIDGE STATEGIES, TIPS AND TRICKS
Erik Still, Librarian, The Boeing Company
Implementation Strategies
-Phased implementation
start with OPAC first
then move on to external origins
-Start simple
one or few target resources, applicable to many bib records
-Focus on high impact resources first
-Use categories to organize your resources, but don’t get carried away.
-Kitchen sink approach
• get full – text tier one
• check for full text – tier two
• browse full text journals – tier three
• see library catalog for pub. Access – tier four
Best Available Link approach
• get full text – tier one
• check for full text – tier two
• see chart for his list of categories and target URL’s
Getting Organized
Develop a matrix of resources and categories to keep organized and on track.
One spreadsheet for each category, on for each resource
Kind of a back up of the data in each resources definition.
Links to External Doc Repositories
This can transform the catalog from an internal focused tool to an outwardly-focused starting point.
Example at Boeing they have NASA and NTRS docs loaded locally and use WB to link out to these from the catalog.
1. Investigate the external system
a. Does it support stable doc stable urls
b. Search vs. doc# linking
c. Does the target have all full text or partial
d. URL syntax
2. Get comfortable of create list
a. You can use CL to pull out bibs that you will be working with to examine it and see what you will need to do, message etc.
3. Use field selectors to select, cleanse, and manipulate your catalog data
a. Replace for example white space with hyphens
b. Uppercase to lowercase
c. Have WB only pull out valid bibs that have valid report numbers
4. Data Test
WebBridge vs. MARC Field 856 Links
Do it if it makes sense. Here are some criteria
Applicability for considering WebBridge:
-Does it apply to a large number of bib records
-Do you have good quality catalog data since you will be relying on this to create your links
-the links are as good as the 856 links?
-does the resource have a stable base URL
-Uniform appearance of the link is desirable
You can put 856 in browse field not in WB
You can use link checkin in 856 not in WB
WB links are invisible, done programmatically. This can be confusing to tech services. You may need to put something in the bib to keep it from been deleted?
WB scales beautifully as 856 does not
At Boeing they suppress WB if 856 is their, using a CL looking for appearance of 856 data.
Hiding WB Test Links from the Live OPAC
443 is SSL
80 is web
make a filter to include both of these to suppress test links
cherry pick a single bib records using a Boolean query on bib record number. This can be used on both external and internal. Useful for testing
Last chance links – Links for resserv_panel
What if there are no resources in panel offered? Boeing lets users search
Opac via issn and title.
Both his javascript and Bob Duncans token method do the same thing but his java uses more nested “if thens”
STATS
See hand out
Enable WB Panel when “no entries found”
See his java on IUG clearinghouse
Customer Feedback link via bob Duncan
See handout
