6 The Kids OPAC (KPAC) is a public catalog search that was designed for children
7 and teens. Colorful menu items,large buttons, and simple navigation make this
8 an appealing search interface for kids. Librarians will appreciate the flexible
9 configuration of the KPAC. Librarians can create links to canned search results
10 for kids and can apply these links by branch. The KPAC uses the same infrastructure
11 as the Template Toolkit OPAC (TPAC), the adult catalog search, so you can easily
12 extend the KPAC using the code that already exists in the TPAC. Finally, third
13 party content, such as reader reviews, can be integrated into the KPAC.
17 Two skins, or design interfaces, have been created for the KPAC. The KPAC was
18 designed to run multiple skins on a single web server. A consortium, then, could
19 allow each library system to choose a skin for their patrons.
23 In this skin, the search bar is the focal point of the top panel and is centered
24 on the screen. The search grid appears beneath the search bar. Help and Login
25 links appear at the top right of the interface. You can customize the appearance
26 and position of these links with CSS. After you login, the user name is displayed
27 in the top right corner, and the Login link becomes an option to Logout.
29 image::media/Kids_OPAC1.jpg[Kids_OPAC1]
31 *Alternate Monster Skin:*
33 In this skin, the search bar shares the top panel with a playful monster. The
34 search grid appears beneath the search bar. Help and Login links appear in bold
35 colors at the top right of the interface although you can customize these with CSS.
36 After you login, the Login button disappears.
38 image::media/Kids_OPAC2.jpg[Kids_OPAC2]
41 == Search the Catalog ==
43 You can search the catalog using only the search bar, the search grid, or the search
44 bar and the collection drop down menu.
47 *Search using the Search Bar*
49 To search the catalog from the home page, enter text into the search bar in the
50 center of the main page, or enter text into the search bar to the right of the
51 results on a results page. Search indices are configurable, but the default search
52 indices include author, title and (key)word.
54 You can use this search bar to search the entire catalog, or, using the configuration
55 files, you can apply a filter so that search queries entered here retrieve records
56 that meet specific criteria, such as child-friendly copy locations or MARC audience
60 *Search using the Grid*
62 From the home page, you can search the catalog by clicking on the grid of icons.
63 An icon search can link to an external web link or to a canned search. For example,
64 the icon, Musical Instruments, could link to the results of a catalog search on
65 the subject heading, Musical instruments.
67 The labels on the grid of icons and the content that they search are configurable
68 by branch. You can use the grid to search the entire catalog, or, using the
69 configuration files, you can apply a filter so that search queries entered here
70 retrieve records associated with specific criteria, such as child-friendly copy
71 locations or MARC audience codes.
74 image::media/Kids_OPAC4.jpg[Kids_OPAC4]
77 You can add multiple layers of icons and searches to your grid:
80 image::media/Kids_OPAC5.jpg[Kids_OPAC5]
84 *Search using the Search Bar and the _Collection_ Drop Down Menu*
86 On the search results page, a search bar and drop down menu appear on the right
87 side of the screen. You can enter a search term and into the search bar and select
88 a collection from the drop down menu to search these configured collections.
89 Configured collections might provide more targeted searching for your audience
90 than a general catalog search. For example, you could create collections by shelving
91 location or by MARC audience code.
94 image::media/Kids_OPAC17.jpg[Kids_OPAC17]
97 Using any search method, the search results display in the center of the screen.
98 Brief information displays beneath each title in the initial search result. The
99 brief information that displays, such as title, author, or publication information,
103 image::media/Kids_OPAC6.jpg[Kids_OPAC6]
106 For full details on a title, click *More Info*. The full details displays the
107 configured fields from the title record and copy information. Click *Show more
108 copies* to display up to fifty results. Use the breadcrumbs at the top to trace
112 image::media/Kids_OPAC7.jpg[Kids_OPAC7]
118 From the search results, click the *Get it!* link to place a hold.
121 image::media/Kids_OPAC11.jpg[Kids_OPAC11]
124 The brief information about the title appears, and, if you have not yet logged in,
125 the *Get It!* panel appears with fields for username and password. Enter the username
126 and password, and select the pick up library. Then click *Submit*. If you have
127 already logged into your account, you need only to select the pick up location,
131 image::media/Kids_OPAC12.jpg[Kids_OPAC12]
134 A confirmation of hold placement appears. You can return to the previous record
135 or to your search results.
138 image::media/Kids_OPAC13.jpg[Kids_OPAC13]
142 == Save Items to a List ==
144 You can save items to a temporary list, or, if you are logged in, you can save to
145 a list of your own creation. To save items to a list, click the *Get it* button
146 on the Search Results page.
149 image::media/Kids_OPAC14.jpg[Kids_OPAC14]
152 Select a list in the *Save It!* panel beneath the brief information, and click *Submit*.
155 image::media/Kids_OPAC16.jpg[Kids_OPAC16]
158 A confirmation of the saved item appears. To save the item to a list or to manage
159 the lists, click the *My Lists* link to return to the list management feature in
163 image::media/Kids_OPAC15.jpg[Kids_OPAC15]
167 == Third Party Content ==
169 Third party content, such as reader reviews, can be viewed in the Kids OPAC. The
170 reviews link appears adjacent to the brief information.
172 image::media/Kids_OPAC8.jpg[Kids_OPAC8]
175 Click the Reviews link to view reader reviews from a third party source. The reader
176 reviews open beneath the brief information.
179 image::media/Kids_OPAC9.jpg[Kids_OPAC9]
182 Summaries and reviews from other publications appear in separate tabs beneath the
186 image::media/Kids_OPAC10.jpg[Kids_OPAC10]
188 == Configuration Files ==
190 Configuration files allow you to define labels for canned searches in the icon
191 grid, determine how icons lead users to new pages, and define whether those icons
192 are canned searches or links to external resources. Documentation describing how
193 to use the configuration files is available in the Evergreen repository.