Patent ID: 7831548

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for assisting users in locating items represented within a data repository, the method comprising: maintaining a database of user-created lists of selected items from the data repository, wherein at least a first user generates one or more user-created lists by selecting the items for inclusion in the user-created lists, and wherein the first user further associates user-defined titles with the user-created lists; allowing the first user to submit the user-created lists and the associated user-defined titles for storage in the data repository so as to allow the first user to share the user-created lists with other users wherein the other users can view the items in the user-created lists and the user-defined titles associated with the user-created lists; ranking at least one of the user-created lists relative to other user-created lists based in part on the effectiveness of the user-created lists; monitoring results of a search query submitted by at least a second user during a browsing session of the data repository; selecting at least one user-created list from the user-created lists based at least in part on the search query results and based at least in part on the ranking of the user-created lists; and presenting at least a portion of the selected user-created lists to the second user.