Kathleen Bauer, Michael Friscia und Scott Matheson in in Code4Lib: From the Catalog to the Book on the Shelf: Building a Mapping Application for Vufind
At Yale University Library (YUL), recorded reference transactions revealed that after finding a book in the catalog patrons had difficulty knowing how to use the call number to find the book on the shelf. The Library created a mobile service to help locate the call number in the library stacks. From any call number of a book in Sterling Memorial Library at YUL, a map will be displayed which highlights that call number’s general area on a floor in the stacks. YUL introduced the mapping application in Yufind, a catalog in place at Yale since 2008 which is based on Vufind.
Die Fragen nach Standorten sind nach Implementierung stark zurück gegangen:
In the fall semester 2010, 7.3% of all questions at the Information Desk at Sterling Memorial Library were questions relating to finding a specific call number. After the mapping project was fully implemented in fall 2011 the number of call number related questions was reduced to 5.8% of all questions at the same desk, a 20.6% reduction in patron inquiries on this topic. More publicity for the mapping functionality and the iPad kiosk should further help reduce the number of requests. Based solely on the reduction in requests for help finding call numbers in Sterling Memorial Library the improved mapping can be judged successful and worth replicating elsewhere in the Yale Library system.
