Monday 17 November 2014 11:11am
An upgraded online search tool makes looking for information from the Hocken more efficient.
The Hocken has completed a major upgrade to its online search tool Hākena.
The upgraded search tool represents a new collection management system for the Hocken's unpublished collections: archives, photographs and artworks.
Though the new system retains the Hākena name, Curator of Archives and Manuscripts Anna Blackman says the new tool is significantly different in terms of appearance and functionality.
“Users can now search across the Hocken’s unpublished collections all at once, bookmark items, register and request items online from an easy-to-use, searchable interface,” she says. “It also has functionality to display digital images of original photographs, documents and artworks; and to allow researchers to access other kinds of digital files such as audio and video as they are added to the system.”
"We wanted to take the opportunity to provide a more seamless searching experience for our researchers while making our behind the scenes work more consistent and efficient."
Ms Blackman says the upgrade was necessary as the old databases previously used to manage the unpublished collections were technologically out of date and limited in functionality.
“We wanted to take the opportunity to provide a more seamless searching experience for our researchers while making our behind the scenes work more consistent and efficient.”
Down the road, Hākena will interface with the Library Search Ketu catalogue enabling researchers to search all Otago Library catalogues at once
With the new system now in place, existing registered Hocken researchers need to update their registration upon their next visit to the Hocken. As users adapt to the new system, help is available online or by contacting Hocken Staff.
The new system was developed by MINISIS Inc, a Canadian-based company that specialises in archives and museums software.
