New Frameless MUSE Unveiled for Library Staff
July 11th 2003 - Our new frameless MUSE is now functional for library staff.Use this link to create your bookmark: The target date to go public is August 18th.
Any suggestions you have for modifying the look or functionality of the new MUSE should be sent to
The new version has the following major features:
1. The headers have been redesigned to conform to the McGill web site standard:
McGill LibrariesMUSEFull MUSE
The first two links are stable throughout all the bases, but the third changes to reflect whichever subbase is currently in use, and can be used to return to the start page of the base.
2. There are no more framed boxes at the top of the screen – just buttons for the various functions:
More Catalogues Browse Keyword Advanced CCL Results History Basket Display Reset Help
3. Sign In is now in the upper right hand corner. When you Sign In, a button for E-Exams appears to the left of the More Catalogues button and a third tab line appears with buttons for:
Sign Out Account Home Renewals Loan History Fines Requests
The pale yellow colour is back but is more visible since it crosses the entire width of the screen
4. The layout of the main page has been simplified so that the Browse and Keyword displays are less crowded.
5. The pop-up box thanking donors for the electronic resources has been replaced by a statement on the main screen of the E-Resources subbase and further information will be added to the Donor & Benefits section of the Library home page. A pop-up box that says “connect” will appear whenever you click on a URL from the full citation record but it is only a redirect page and will immediately disappear. It will link to the online resource on a screen outside of MUSE.
6. There are now two sidebars – one on each side of the main Screen. The sidebar on the right of all screens within MUSE or any of the subbases provides a Quick Title Search which will allow you to enter a title and immediately be directed into the Journal Titles or E-Resources or E-Reference or (with a course number) the Course Reserves subbase. This is strictly a browse and not a keyword search. There is also a heading on this sidebar to enter the Electronic Exams but, as you have to sign in to use this file, it is the Sign In rather than the heading which is hot linked.
7. The sidebar on the left of the main Screen contains either MUSE News and standard information on MUSE and Your Account, or an address for the relevant Library. Each Library unit will be able to select what data it would like to include in its own sidebar, including external links out of MUSE. For example, you could link to your web site, hours, ILL information, subject guides, etc.The sidebar on the right can be used for “canned” searches within your library subbase (e.g. types of material - see Redpath AV).Please notify as to what you would like included on your Library’s start Screen.
8. You will also have the option of deciding whether you want any textual data to appear on the main screen below the Browse and Keyword boxes on your own Library subbase. For example, on the Blacker-Wood subbase, we have a list of the sublocations within the Rare Books collection and a link to the online Feather Book of Dionisio Minaggio.
9. Once you leave the main MUSE Screen, the left hand MUSE News column is replaced with a Search Tips column. This and the right-hand sidebar can be either displayed or hidden, according to your choice. We are still working on revising the Search Tips and Help screens and would welcome your suggestions and input.
10. Help now appears within MUSE. The contents of the Help is in the left sidebar.
11. The ‘Previous Page’ and ‘Next Page’ buttons that appear on the browse screens are hard-coded by Ex Libris and we have not yet found a way of modifying them.
12. When you click on a subject heading within a full record you will get a pop-up box allowing you to do a browse, keyword or (if there is a Public General Note in LC or MeSH) heading information search of the term and when you activate the search, the pop-up box will disappear.
13. When you do a search, the search statement will be retained on the bottom of the Brief Records screen in the “Revise your search” box
14. There are now more sort options for multi-item hitlists on the Brief Records – including by Year (ascending) and Author:
Sort options:Author/YearYear/AuthorAuthor/TitleTitle/YearYear(D)/TitleYear (A)/TitleCall Number
15. The brief record screen in full MUSE and in the Types of Material subbases are no longer identical. For example, in the E-Journals subbase, the brief record now includes the holdings data for the online titles. Jane has documented the various brief record “looks” for the different subbases at:
16. A new column has been added to the Brief Record in the Journal Titles subbase called Volumes. The See Holdings link leads to the Holdings screen and gives a merged item record list for all the libraries holding that title.
17. The Call Number and Library listing in the basket is now the same as on the brief record.
18. As well as the E-Resources subbase, we also now have subbases for E-Indexes and E-Reference. When you open the E-Indexes and E-Reference subbases, you will find an expanded subject list of these titles as well as a right-hand sidebar drop-down menu containing an expanded list of types of reference sources. If you have not yet finished going through the list of E-Indexes and Databases to make sure that the ones relevant to your subject areas are properly listed under all the relevant headings – now is the time to do so. Please notify - and yes I’m still working on the Biology titles.
19. Rather than use the broad terms Interdisciplinary or Multidisciplinary, E-References and E-Indexes such as Current Contents are being listed under all the relevant subject headings. This could be changed if there is a consensus to that effect.
20. In the E-Reference subbase, the Search by Type of Reference Source includes the term Maps. This will pull up all maps and geographical atlases but will exclude anatomical atlases.
21. The list of Libraries and Collections in the More Catalogues list is now in alphabetical order instead of the Aleph code sequence.
22. There are some issues that we have not made final decisions on and would be interested in your opinions. The major issue still under discussion is whether or nor there should there be cataloguing records in the E-Resources file for the aggregators such as Kluwer, Blackwell, Sage, etc. All titles within these are listed individually and all the aggregators can be searched by Keyword. There are cataloguing records for the early aggregators we acquired but not for the more recent ones.
23. Just as an item of information, when we go public, a Redirect notice will appear on the main page of framed MUSE so that anyone who has the page bookmarked will know to reset the link for the new version.