Getting creative with Visual Search

Accessit Library prides itself on being just what a school needs, with features designed for and by librarians. The power of Accessit as a searching tool is something that provides functionality and agency to students – helping them build confidence and supporting them to be independent readers and researchers. One of Accessit’s key search features is called ‘Visual Search’.

In its basic form, Visual Search is tool that supports students to navigate the library catalogue through visual images rather than relying on the traditional search bar. Users make their way through different categories into subcategories, with each of these units displaying a clear and relevant image.

In its default state Visual Search is an excellent tool for younger students who are just beginning their journey into literacy, allowing them to navigate the library through images instead of relying solely on their still fresh reading skills. In this instance the image blocks can be used to display engaging and inviting images that clearly represent each genre and subgenre a student might be trying to find.

What is most interesting about Visual Search is that, as with many Accessit features, it is completely customisable. Users can alter the images and categories displayed through Visual Search and even the feature’s display name.

Some schools have managed to take advantage of this flexibility by altering the Visual Search feature to better assist their specific staff and students, changing the name ‘Visual Search’ to better reflect its purpose within their unique setup.

Some librarians will choose to go with Genre or Topic Search, maintaining the default functionality of the feature but with a name that is better suited to how it will be used within their school. There are however some more distinct ways that Visual Search can be adapted.

Class Search

Some schools have found Visual Search to be a useful tool for teachers, allowing them to create a list of books or other resources that they will use in their classes as part of the curriculum, or personal recommendations. In this set up the categories and their images are replaced with images and names of staff, leading to their unique book lists.

The title itself can be changed to ‘Class Search’ as an example, with students able to look for their teacher by name and face, to help them find the resources they need for their class.

Reading Level Search

Another excellent way Visual Search has been adapted by schools is by adapting it to focus on reading level. In this instance, books at the same reading level are grouped into categories and placed in sections on Visual Search.

There are many ways these levels can be determined, this can be done as year groups, ages, or even as accelerated levels, whatever is most helpful for the users. This layout not only allows students to get a better understanding of their reading progress, but can also encourage them to focus on improving their ability by climbing that reading ladder.

With its helpful blend of text and images, Accessit’s Visual Search is a remarkably customisable feature, helping students find the right genre, the right book for their class, or the right book for their reading level. This customisability demonstrates how flexible Accessit is in catering to the unique needs of each library.

Special Customer Spotlight

Sydenham School’s visual search combines a few of these techniques to create a comprehensive and engaging Visual Search. Take a look below for some inspiration!