In summer 2008, Duke implemented its current online catalog interface.  Support for the old catalog interface (now called the “Classic Catalog”)  is being phased out, although it will remain accessible for the time being and no timetable has been set for its removal. 

The Catalog Interface

The current interface (powered by Endeca) was selected as part of a collaborative initiative with our Triangle Research Libraries Network (TRLN) peers: UNC-Chapel Hill, NC State, and NC Central.  The shared use of Endeca by TRLN combines development efforts and facilitates the discovery, request, and delivery of library materials to students, faculty, and staff members between and within the four universities.  The TRLN effort builds on the work of the NC State Libraries, which have been using Endeca successfully since 2005.

Comparison 

Here are the fundamental differences between the current and classic catalog interfaces. 

• Relevance.  The current catalog interface uses relevance ranking, meaning search results are presented in order of how frequently your search terms appear in the items, which fields the terms appear in, and other variables.  The Classic catalog presents results last-in / first-out:  the items that have been most recently cataloged will float to the top of the results no matter how relevant to the search.
• Guided navigation.  After searching in the catalog, look to the left-hand "Refine Your Search" section.  You may narrow down your results by format, availability, author, subject, or other "facets" of the items returned.  In the classic catalog, you cannot refine or narrow your search results.
• Alphabetical indexes.  The classic catalog enables you to browse an alphabetical index (list) of all possible values for authors, titles, or subjects.  You can pick a place in the index to start browsing by using "Title starts with..." This is not possible in the current interface.

See a full comparison of features to learn more about how the current catalog interface differs from the old (classic) interface, and learn new strategies for finding items. 

Other Options

No single interface will ever fully meet all of the information needs of all of the library's patrons.  Beyond the current and classic catalog interfaces, you may also search and discover the resources in our catalog by using sites such as WorldCat or Search TRLN.  For articles, you may prefer using Google Scholar or searching within one of our more than 500 databases' native interfaces.  Functionality and scope differs in every system.  Ask a librarian for guidance in finding the right system for your needs.

Release Notes

Here is a list of enhancements and additions to the project that reflect changes made to the system since its inception.
Here is a list of enhancements to the export of catalog data to the Endeca application that reflect changes made to the extract system since the summer of 2008.

Technical Specifications

The technical specifications of the system and credits for its development.