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    music publisher searching

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    • Article Type: General
    • Product: Aleph
    • Product Version: 18.01

    Description:
    We have a direct index for field 028, music publisher number. It's using filing routine 21.
    It appears that the only way to retrieve such a number is with a browse, and then only if you enter the exact text of the field.
    There is no "left" truncating?
    For example, a music publisher number must be entered in a browse search as Pl. no. 8403
    You have to include the 'pl no" and periods or spaces or else you get a hit list that's not even close to what you're looking for.
    I've seen KB 8192-1768 regarding auto-truncate, but that only truncates from the right.
    Most users don't know what might preface a music number.
    Is there any way to retrieve a search for just "8403" in the 028 field?
    Could you build a keyword index for the 028 field and then retrieve a record by the numeric part of the record?
    The example I'm using refers to system no. 191561 on our test server.

    Resolution:
    What you currently have defined is an "IND" or Direct index. These are generally numbers that are pretty much unique, such as ISBNs, LCCNs, SICIs, etc. It seems perfectly reasonable to use this for publisher's numbers, but I'm not sure this is the best way for you to go with this type of number. It seems that what you really want is a keyword index on this number. This would allow people to put in whatever part of the number makes sense to them and to get results. So, a publisher's number like Pl. no. 8403 would be indexed directly by the "8403" part, if that's what a user entered. If they entered "Pl. no. 8403", it would find it. If they entered any variant of that, such as "pl no 8403" or "no 8403", it would still find the record. As things stand now, punctuation is considered as part of the index, and doesn't work very well.

    So, my suggestion would be to build a new keyword index on the 028 field and test it out. Once you are satisfied with it, you can decide if you want to retain the 028 direct index or not.

    • Article last edited: 10/8/2013