The Science Fiction and Fantasy Research Database is moving slowly toward a major change in look and feel, and a significant improvement in the search options available to users. The database will now be hosted in the Texas A&M University Digital Repository, and will run on a SQL database.
The advantage of the hosting in the Texas A&M University Repository is the potential of a long life. Repositories are designed to archive and maintain resources created in the university, so the availability of the database is far more secure than in the past.
The SQL database host is far more powerful than the existing Access-based structure, and the search capabilities are more powerful than the front end on the existing database.
Other options will be coded into the structure of the new database. Over time, more selective searching will be possible as the entries in the database are edited and enhanced for better searching.
The availability of the new version will be announced in a variety of places when it becomes fully operational.
For now, users may look at and test most of the functionality of the new platform by connecting to the database at: http://sffrd.library.tamu.edu/
The database offers full boolean search functionality, using "+", "-" and similar operators to build the search syntax for each query. The full list of search operators is in the "New Users" page; a short review of that page will ease use of the revised database.
Searching is still being refined, so your efforts and comments about searches will be of significant help in identifying and correcting seach functionality.
Comments are welcome at any time.
