In June 2011, Andornot helped launch a new website and database for the Canadian Jewish Heritage Network. This site uses the Umbraco CMS to provide information on Canadian Jewish history, and includes two databases of archival and genealogical information, powered by Inmagic WebPublisher PRO and DB/TextWorks.

This June we’ve helped upgrade the site with two new features: an enhanced, multi-database search, and a mobile interface.

Enhanced, Multi-Database Search

The enhanced search is available on the Explore page and uses the Apache Solr search engine to index and search the two separate Inmagic databases (which remain available on the site). Results from both databases are integrated and sorted by relevance, using the sophisticated algorithms in Solr to present the best matches to the user. This feature is particularly useful to genealogical researchers as a “Did you mean” capability can alert them to misspellings or name variations. For example:

Mobile Interface

To access the mobile interface, simply open www.cjhn.ca in your mobile browser. You’ll be automatically redirected to the mobile view, with all the same content as the full site, but formatted to fit the smaller view of a mobile device.

The mobile view was created by extending the Umbraco CMS with additional templates and stylesheets. This allows CJHN to write content once, but display it in the format most suitable to the viewer.

Contact Andornot to upgrade your own web application to feature a mobile view or enhanced search options.

The Vancouver Island Health Authority (VIHA) Library recently switched from an in-house built library catalogue system to Inmagic’s DB/TextWorks and WebPublisher PRO, becoming the fifth British Columbia health authority to do so.  The new system provides staff in all the VIHA hospitals and health-related offices (and from their homes and elsewhere, too) access to more features than were previously offered.  Because the catalogue is on the Internet, the public can use it too, although requesting items is limited to staff only.  Several of the VIHA library staff have used Inmagic software in other library settings and were delighted to be using it again.

The VIHA library catalogue on the web: http://viha.andornot.com is based on the Andornot Starter Kit and features Quick and Advanced search screens, a few popular topic searches – using canned searches.  The search results include Google book covers, which add both colour to the site and links to more details about each book; icons for quick material type identification; Permalinks to provide a link that remains unchanged over time (for sharing and bookmarking); and functions for Ordering requests and Email, Save and Print for sharing or personal use. 

They now join other BC Health Authorities, including Fraser Health, Northern Health, Vancouver Coastal Health, and Interior Health, and similar health organizations; all using the same backend Inmagic software.  As a result, this facilitated the inclusion of the VIHA catalogue into the popular Health Libraries Association of BC (HLABC) OneSearch where search terms can be entered into a single search box and all the  catalogues can be searched quickly at the same time.  Librarians from all the health authorities have commented how much they like to use the OneSearch system to locate items not in their collection, thus providing a time saving search mechanism and a wonderful resource sharing tool. 

Both the new features in the VIHA catalogue and the inclusion in the HLABC OneSearch system provide greater functionality to all the VIHA users, including both staff and public alike.   Cliff Cornish, Regional Manager, Library Services, comments:

“It is wonderful to finally have a modern OPAC, and it is great to be able to participate with the other Health Authority Libraries in the HLABC search.”

For further information, contact Andornot. 

New Brunswick isn’t just about lobsters, Acadian culture and amazing tidal heights, it is also about living a healthy lifestyle and the Horizon Health Network hopes to play a part in accomplishing that. 

The Horizon Health Network consists of four Zones, each with their own hospitals and libraries within those zones.  The hospital libraries have all used Inmagic software for many years but the recent amalgamation into one health region now allows them to share their resources across the region. The Fredericton/Upper River Valley Zone and the Moncton Zone have both had their catalogues on the web for sometime – under different names prior to the union.  The Miramichi and the Saint John Zones have now joined them and the library collections from all the Horizon Health Network Zones are searchable on the web both individually or all at once.  Each site uses Inmagic DB/TextWorks locally to manage their collections and Inmagic WebPublisher PRO on the web. 

  Using Andornot’s OneSearch application, all the catalogues can be searched simultaneously at:  http://hhn.andornot.com/.  The total number of hits for each Zone are displayed, with an ability to view each of the search results separately.   This is a huge time saver for both library staff and their end users.

A single template was used to coordinate the appearance of all the catalogues visually, while still allowing for individual identification on each Zone’s page.  The Andornot Starter Kit was used as a basis for all the sites, with all its features, including links to Google Books to show the book covers and to link to further information about the book’s content.  Ordering carts within each Zone’s catalogue permit users to request items from that Zone’s library providing a valuable extension of library services, especially for offsite employees. 

Lori Leger, the Regional Manager of Library Services for the Horizon Health Network, commented about the project,

“What a great team Andornot has been in pulling this together.  You were able to respond in such a timely manner when we requested quotes, and followed up with your commitment to provide the OneSearch interface within the stated timeline. Input on our end was minimal; you took on the project and ran with it.”