Thursday, May 3, 2012

New Catalog and Account Features a Boon for Users


Most library patrons probably don’t know that our catalog and circulation system is based on open source software.  What this means for those of us who are not techies is that priorities for improvement and enhancement of these systems can be determined by the libraries that use them and rolled out as they evolve, instead of waiting for a behemoth corporate owner to authorize the development and release of an entirely new version.  New functions and features are created by programmers within the library community, often at lower cost and with a better understanding of the behavior and needs of library staff and users.  Along with our Bibliomation partners, we recently introduced some changes that you might find helpful.

The first thing you will notice is a much more attractive and easy-to-navigate catalog with added features such as lists of award winners.  Some of the wording has been changed also to be more intuitive for the casual user (“bookbag” has become “list,” for example).  

“My Account” now has several convenient new options, included one that allows you to turn on a feature that keeps a list of everything you have checked out – a recurring request by readers for many years. 

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