Just over two months ago, we announced that our collections are finally searchable on the internet again. Since then, we have worked intensively with the promised, improved features. The goal of the next launch and the new functions we are developing right now is that new online collection search will be able to replace both our old online search services, eMuseumPlus and the National Historical Museum’s old online collection search . (And if you like the old services you do not have to worry, they will be up and running in parallel with the new service, until we have made sure that everything is in place and works as it should, for all our users).
The new online collection search will include several features that today’s users of online search services expect, but which cultural heritage institutions may not have traditionally provided in their search services. The new online collection search will be based on the search platform Solr, which enables a much more modern and intuitive search behavior than what we usually find in search services for cultural heritage. This intermediate storage will also give us much faster search results. With the help of several different filter functions, we will be able to offer the unaccustomed user easier ways into the large collection that NHM provides – without sacrificing the advanced and non-limiting search options that an expert user wants. By combining filter functions with a powerful and forgiving free text search, we believe we are well on our way to a really good search service for our collection information.
With that said, there is still a lot to do even after the launch of the new filter and search functions. Filters and extended search functionality will initially be implemented only for searching for objects. It thus remains for us to implement the same extended functionality when searching for other types of records as well.
If you have not already done so, take a look at the current, simple search service that is already available (in Swedish).
