Creating a virtual union catalog for Hong Kong dissertations and theses collections
| Date | 10 April 2009 |
| Published date | 10 April 2009 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/02640470910947674 |
| Pages | 331-341 |
| Author | Irene S.M. Wong,Yiu‐On Li |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management,Library & information science |
Creating a virtual union catalog
for Hong Kong dissertations and
theses collections
Irene S.M. Wong and Yiu-On Li
Hong Kong Baptist University Library, Hong Kong, China
Abstract
Purpose – The aim of this paper is to discuss and analyze the efforts of Hong Kong Baptist
University Library to create a virtual union catalog for dissertations and theses collections as a single
search platform to retrieve the bibliographic records, abstracts and full-texts of Hong Kong
postgraduate students’ theses and dissertations from seven university library online public access
catalogues (OPACs).
Design/methodology/approach – The paper examines the use of advanced keyword searching
functionality in Innovative Interfaces’ Millennium system and Microsoft active server pages scripts to
develop an original search engine to cross search the OPACs of Hong Kong university libraries.
Findings – Library searching is more than simply doing a Google search. Libraries do not need to
depend on vendors of their library integration systems exclusively for enhancement in OPAC search
functionality. Librarians can also take the initiative to maximize the searching capabilities and
functionalities of their existing library integration systems, and design new search engines to facilitate
patrons to use the OPACs more efficiently and effectively.
Originality/value – The paper discusses the creation of a unique platform, which is a free and
valuable reference tool for scholars and researchers around the world to cross search the Hong Kong
postgraduate students’ theses and dissertations. It also provides insights into how librarians can
maximize the functionalities of library integration systems to enhance cross searching on OPACs.
Keywords Theses, Academiclibraries, Archives management,Online catalogues,
Generation anddissemination of information, Hong Kong
Paper type Technical paper
Introduction
Teaching and research are two of the essential components of university education.
Therefore, it is of the utmost importance to archive, preserve and disseminate the
research works of the faculty, staff and postgraduate students at a university, and
postgraduate students’ theses and dissertations become significant showcases of a
university’s achievement and contribution in higher education. As a result, an
increasing number of university libraries are investing more and more resources and
efforts in creating, archiving and distributing the citations as well as the electronic
theses and dissertations in institutional repositories, union catalogs and dissertation
databases, etc. Yet, without a good search platform, full texts and even citations of
these postgraduate students’ hard work will be inaccessible on the World Wide Web.
In this regard, Hong Kong Baptist University Library has created the Dissertations and
Theses Collections (DTC)[1], as a single search platform to bridge the gaps of different
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
www.emeraldinsight.com/0264-0473.htm
Creating a
virtual union
catalog
331
Received 21 July 2008
Revised 30 November 2008
Accepted 3 December 2008
The Electronic Library
Vol. 27 No. 2, 2009
pp. 331-341
qEmerald Group Publishing Limited
0264-0473
DOI 10.1108/02640470910947674
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