UTC Library is among the first in the country to adopt a new, integrated library system
Finding information at UTC Library is now easier thanks to an all-new suite of library systems. The upgrade affects all major library services including check out, acquisitions, and cataloging but library users will mostly notice the ease and efficiency of searching for materials.
“Finding library materials in the new system is easier than it used to be. We are now able to offer a search experience that is similar to sites like Amazon ” says reference and instruction librarian Lane Wilkinson. Specifically, library users will now see a single search box in which they can enter any combination of keywords related to subject, title, author and more. Search results are then ranked by relevance much like the way Google search results are processed. In addition to the improved search mechanics, users are also now able to sort their search results by format (book, DVD, etc.) making it much faster for locating specific items. The new search box not only allows users to search UTC’s collections, there is also a drop down box that gives users the option to expand their search to libraries worldwide for materials on their research topics. Items from other libraries can then be borrowed easily through the Library’s online interlibrary loan service, ILLiad.
Users of the Library’s previous online catalog can explore the search features of the new system through a visual guide available on the Library’s website. “Honestly, this new system is so intuitive and easy to use that our patrons probably won’t really need much instruction. Everyone I’ve shown it to was able to jump right in and find what they needed with little or no guidance” says Head of Reference and Instruction Virginia Cairns. In addition to the visual guide, in the weeks ahead the Library will also be hosting brief drop-in style workshops during the first few weeks of classes to introduce the new system to users.
UTC Library is one of the first libraries in the country to implement the new system, called Web-scale Management Services. The internal portions of the system for managing patron accounts, check in and check out, cataloging and acquisitions are also streamlined and easier to use compared to the old system. Jason Griffey, the Head of IT for the Library, sees tremendous benefits to being early adopters of the new system: “As the first to implement this new library system, we’ll have the opportunity to shape it and make finding information even easier than before. Everyone at Lupton Library will be working hard behind the scenes to provide students, faculty, and staff with the most flexible, robust, and easiest way to get to library resources that we can!” -Virginia Cairns, Head of Reference and Instruction