In a March 9 message to Harvard librarians, Dale Flecker, associate director of the University Library for Systems and Planning, announced that Harvard University Library (HUL) will adopt the AquaBrowser Library as its new discovery platform, offering new ways for users to search and interact with data in Harvard’s library catalogs. Selection of the new platform is in keeping with strategic goals set by Harvard’s University Library Council in 2007.

Sometime in April, HUL will debut a beta version of the AquaBrowser Library. The beta, initially running in tandem with the current “Harvard Libraries” portal, includes the entire HOLLIS catalog and offers faceted searching, relevancy ranking, integrated Authority File, word-cloud discovery, and real-time availability information for items. Additionally, the AquaBrowser system provides links to circulation services, allowing patrons to place holds, make requests, view circulation information, and renew items.

Harvard’s AquaBrowser implementation will be updated continuously over the coming months, providing users with new sources of data and additional functionality. HUL expects a full release by September 2009 and will continue to update the product in response to user feedback.

A small advisory team of Harvard librarians has worked with HUL’s Office for Information Systems (OIS) and AquaBrowser’s developer MediaLab Solutions (a business unit of R. R. Bowker) on the configuration and scaling of the new discovery platform. The team has also helped to establish a plan for a fast implementation of the system.

Prior to the beta launch, OIS will hold an open meeting (date to be announced) for Harvard librarians to discuss the new system. In addition, OIS will offer the University Library community a week-long preview of the system prior to its public launch for students, faculty, and staff.

To view AquaBrowser implementations at other universities, visit the University of Chicago’s Lens or the University of Pittsburgh’s PittCat+.