Everyone has rightly been raving about North Carolina State University Libraries' implementation of the Endeca search engine as its OPAC, but it turns out that the Phoenix Public Library has also gone this route. To my knowledge, they are the first public library to do this, probably in no small part because of what I am guessing is the hefty cost of the Endeca software. (If I'm wrong about either their status as the first pl to do this or the cost of the software, please let me know in the comments!)

It's certainly an interesting implementation for a public institution. When I first pulled it up, it definitely didn't *look* like a library website. It has more of a commercial or bookstore feel, as the catalog and the website are one and the same. The home page IS the catalog and vice versa. In the middle of the page, prominently displayed, are spotlights, new book arrivals, award winners & bestsellers, and library programs & events.

There are other interface elements that make it non-library-like. The temperature display, a link to headline news, top navigation headings in plain english ("books, movies, music, downloadable, magazines & newspapers, research, learning tools, kids, teens, more), a separate link for "my bookshelf," and a link to a federated search called simply "find an article." Both the events calendar and the catalog offer RSS feeds, although one of my few quibbles with the site is the lack of a blog or other headline service about the library itself (and therefore no RSS feed for that type of information).

Of course, the really impressive part is the way you can browse the catalog. On the home page, you can start with such headings as Body, Mind, and Spirit, Cooking, and Family and Relationships in non-fiction, while fiction options include African Americans, Dogs, Domestic Fiction, and more.

Once in a category, the faceted browsing is impressive (see the Antiques & Collectibles section for a good example). Using the browse limiters in the left-hand sidebar, you can narrow by format, age level, location, language, and more. Within the search results in the middle column, you can limit to items on shelf, even at a specific branch. You can sort results by relevancy, author, availability, call number, public year, or alphabetically by title. And the whole thing is quite speedy.

Overall, I really like this site. I might make the "ask" link a little more prominent, but it does end up in the sidebar navigation at various points, which is nice. Great job, Phoenix PL! I hope to see some blog posts at some point about patron and staff response over time. ;) [Thanks, Kevin!]