Setting up search limits for a room

In Portfolio, system administrators may create and manage patron-selectable (Optional) search limits and administrator-enforced (Enforced) search limits for search profiles (see Types of search limits for information about each type of search limit). In addition, administrators can apply optional and enforced search limits to a room in a profile. Limits applied to room restrict searches made from that room to a the set of criteria designated in the enforced search limit. Optional limits can also be available on a room basis, but may be unique to the room, regardless of the limits applied to the profile.

These settings apply only to the room in the current profile. If you want to apply these setting to other profiles, use Cascade Room Settings to Profiles (for more information, see Copying room settings to other profiles).

A search limit only affects searches of the Discovery search targets. Searches of federated search targets are never restricted by search limits.

By default, all defined search limits are optional search limits that are available (but not visible) to patrons of all search profiles. To make a search limit available only to certain search profiles, use the Assign Limit to Profiles option Search Limits. (See Making a search limit available to search profiles for information.)

After an administrator with privileges to manage search limits in all profiles (for more information, see Fields: Add/Edit Role) makes a search limit available to one or more search profiles, any administrator with access to the profile can use Configure Search Limits in Rooms to do the following.

  • Enable one or more search limits for a room
  • Specify which enabled search limits are optional, and which (if any) are enforced
  • Determine whether patrons in the current room can search without using any of the optional search limits
  • Specify which optional search limit is the default optional search limit
  • Specify whether the enabled search limits are applied only to the selected room, or to the selected room and all of the rooms that branch from it

Optional search limits and enforced search limits can be used together for search profiles and rooms. However, an enforced limit cannot be simultaneously available in Searching as an optional search limit. For example, if the administrator enforces a search limit for patrons with the young adult profile so that the search results are restricted to materials owned by the Main Library branch, the Main Library search limit will not display in the drop-down list next to the Search field in the young adult patrons’ search results.

When you configure a search limit for one or more rooms, you must re-index your data and refresh the Discovery administrator database metadata cache in the Discovery server application. For more information, see Refreshing the search cache. After you complete these tasks, the optional search limits will be available to patrons for selection in Searching, and the enforced search limits (if any) will be applied to the rooms.

To configure a search limit for a room

  1. Log in to the Admin Console.
  2. Choose Rooms from the navigation pane.
  3. Select the profile in which you want to work.
  4. Navigate to the room in which you want to configure the search limits.
  5. Choose the Configure Search Limits option next to the room. For more information, see Fields: Configure Search Limits.
  6. In the Available list, select the search limit or limits that you want to enable for the room, and click the Add button to move the limits to the Selected list.
  7. Click Next.

  8. The Optional list contains the optional search limits that are enabled for the room. Decide which search limits to keep in the Optional list as patron-selectable search limits. If you want a search limit to be an administrator-enforced limit for the room, use the Add button to move the search limit to the Enforced list.

    Important:  Optional search limits and enforced search limits can be used together for rooms. However, a search limit selected to be an enforced limit cannot also be an optional search limit for the room. For example, if you apply a search limit for the Medical Reference Room so that the search results are restricted to materials owned by the Hospital Library, the Hospital Library search limit will not display in the drop-down list next to the Search field in the Medical Room’s search results.

  9. Click Next.

  10. Do one of the following.

    • If you want to display the Everything selection in the list of optional search limits, select the Use No Limits check box. The Everything selection allows the patron to search all search targets that are configured for the room, and the search results are not limited by any of the optional search limits configured for the room.
    • If you do not want to display the Everything selection in the list of optional search limits, clear the Use No Limits check box.
  11. In the Default Limit list, select the optional search limit that you want to be highlighted by default when the patron opens the Search list to limit a search results list.
  12. Select whether you want to apply the changes to the current room only or to the current room and all of the rooms branching from the room.
  13. Choose Finish to save your changes, or choose Cancel to discard your changes and return to Rooms.

Related topics 

Search Profiles