Redevelopment of SUNCAT Platform
New SUNCAT interface design.
EDINA is redeveloping the SUNCAT search platform. This programme of work will bring forward not only enhanced functionality, but also more agile responsiveness to user feedback.
Work began on the first phase in Spring 2012 as EDINA started to design and implement a new user interface for the SUNCAT service.
New SUNCAT interface design
The web interface is being developed in-house, leveraging the open-source enterprise search platform Solr (see link below) to facilitate highly efficient searching across the millions of SUNCAT records.
Moving to this open-source platform should allow EDINA to have greater control and flexibility over the functionality and presentation of SUNCAT.
One key area of improvement will be increased flexibility around the application of library and location search limits. These improvements mean that in the future it will be possible to provide customised views onto SUNCAT. They are also particularly important for the mobile application that is concurrently in development.
Other new functionality will follow throughout the coming year. EDINA has identified a wishlist of features based on user feedback and also on a survey of some of the best functionality available in commercial search engines, library, and union catalogues in the UK, Europe, and beyond.
The feedback and survey also informed the design brief for the redeveloped service. Having considered a number of designs, EDINA consulted with staff in SUNCAT-contributing libraries to arrive at the final design (see left).
It is hoped that beta versions of the new platform and the mobile application will be available in spring 2013, when we will be asking SUNCAT users to provide feedback on the developments.
New Libraries Added to SUNCAT
Seven new libraries have been added to SUNCAT in 2012.
These include three university libraries and four specialist libraries:
- De Montfort University
- Robert Gordon University
- Strathclyde University
- Courtauld Institute of Art
- Library of the Society of Friends
- Scottish National Gallery
- Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art
SUNCAT now contains 89 libraries, consisting of 3 national libraries, 57 higher education libraries, and 29 specialist libraries.