[LM_NET] HIT: ELEM: OPAC, keywords and frequent searches

[Shannon Hyman <josie8833@AOL.COM>]

Hello All!
Here is one last HIT of?three more postings to my original question regarding how 
to help elementary students experience more effective searches on our OPAC, 
especially when spelling is such a stumbling block.? Thanks again for your ideas 
and input!

Shannon Hyman
josie8833@aol.com
Library Assistant
Greenwood ES
Glena Allen, VA 23060

#1

Shannon, I polled the kids to find out the topics they look up the most. From that 
list I listed?those words (and their shelf?locations if non-fiction),?I printed 
them out, laminated and posted one at each of the kiosk search computers.?I also 
printed out a list of keywords from the?circulation software that I keep in a 
notebook at the circulation desk. I probably use it more than anyone, but some of 
the older, more savvy students and a few teachers?will often look at it for 
alternate word choices.

?

To be honest, I think my students are?more successful once they understand Dewey 
organization. Our library isn't huge, but it's a nice size and I've broken it down 
to be more K-5 friendly. I'm not ready to go with the "bookstore look", but there 
is a logic in separating out highly circulated?series (both fiction and 
non-fiction), early non-fiction and early chapters from the rest of the collection. 
Our students seem satisfied as well.

?

My focus is more on the logic of the arrangement of books. For some reason, the 
idea that the football books are in the same place everytime they come isn't a 
concept that any of them have mastered, but we're working toward that. I guess they 
think that at night I stay at school and move things around. 



#2
?Shannon,
we put a ton of "see refs" in our OPAC (Follett) to guide students.? We can edit 
our authority records so we could even misspell words if we wanted to to create 
see refs.? There's no reason why if you see a common misspelling that you 
couldn't add it as a see ref!

#3:
Another option, if your system has it, is to click BROWSE instead of SEARCH and 
if they are close, they can pick the correctly spelled version from the list 
provided.? They will learn to recognize the correct spelling and may use it the 
next time, as well.



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