The Harvard University Libraries are pleased to announce the beta release of a new version of HOLLIS, our online catalog system. For those interested in the new system, HOLLIS beta will be available starting on Tuesday, April 7, 2009. Alternatively, HOLLIS Classic will continue to be supported.

What’s in the new system?

HOLLIS beta will include functionality more in line with Google or Amazon. Highlights include:

• A single search box. Type in a word, a phrase, an author’s name (First_Name Last_Name or Last_Name, First_Name).
• “Did you mean…?” suggestions.
• Results displayed in relevance order.
• Ways to refine and limit searches. For example: display results only for materials at the HKS Library.
• Tag clouds on every page to provide suggestions for related searches.

How to access HOLLIS beta

Once HOLLIS beta is available, you will see a new search option from the library’s web site. To use HOLLIS beta, select that button from the search choices. To use HOLLIS Classic, select that button instead.

Why beta?

Even with all of this new functionality, HOLLIS beta is indeed a beta release. (What’s beta?) The system is still undergoing development, and some features from HOLLIS Classic are not yet available in the new system. New features are being added on a regular basis, but for now we recommend HOLLIS Classic for users of the LibX Firefox extension.

Also missing is a link from HOLLIS beta to Reserves. Please access Reserves materials through HOLLIS Classic or directly from course web sites.

Future Enhancements

Over the next few months, many new features will be added to HOLLIS. Current plans for enhancements are listed on the main page for HOLLIS beta: http://discovery.lib.harvard.edu/.

Future developments include:

• Additional advanced search options
• RSS feeds
• Subject authority expansion
• Record clustering for similar editions
• Record tagging
• Increased non-Latin search support

Questions? Want to learn more?

Join us for brief, information demonstrations at an open house in the library on Friday, April 10 from 2:30 – 4:00, or sign up for a personal consultation with a member of the library staff.

Feedback

The Harvard University Libraries have just begun work to customize and implement this new system. If there is functionality you would like to see added, please send us feedback. There is a feedback link on every page.