Horizon lets you customize the appearance and functionality of staff searching. For example, you can change the search options that display in the main Search window, the limiting options you can use for a search, and what information is displayed in search results windows. You can also modify the help text that displays on the Search window to help staff know how to enter searches. In addition, you can specify the words that you want Horizon to ignore during keyword and browse searches, such as articles or conjunctions. You can also control what location’s holdings display.
One of the main parameters that defines how searching functions is the PAC flavor. The flavors you set up determine what search options, search modes (for example, expert search), and reserve locations are available to users. Flavors also determine what views display in each search window. (For example, you can choose which view the flavor displays for the Bib Display window.)
While defining search parameters, you create the search options. Search options have parameters that determine which tables or indexes store the information from the database you want users to search on. Part of setting up search options includes assigning them to a flavor. You should define search options before you set up a flavor (keeping in mind the name of the flavor you will later assign to the search option). Then after you create a flavor, you can define restrictions and sort options associated with the flavor.
You can also determine other staff searching behavior, such as the flavor that you automatically use when you start staff searching or the number of records that display after users resume a keyword search. You control this behavior by adding switches to the staff searching process. (For information about switches for staff searching, see Switches.)
In addition, if you and another library use the Z39.50 protocol to communicate between your two databases, you can set up this protocol so Horizon can access that library’s database.
The search settings (search options, search restrictions, PAC flavors, and so forth) that you set up in this chapter apply specifically to staff searching. The only search settings you set up in this chapter that apply to Horizon Information Portal are the search indexes used by a PAC flavor. (For more information about setting up search settings in Information Portal, see the Information Portal System Administrator’s Guide.)
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