The Arthur and Janet C. Ross Library recently completed its first step toward a more advanced search experience and to initiating a circulation system by launching its new catalog at library.aarome.org.
Based upon the most widely distributed Open Source Integrated Library System (ILS), Koha, the system features a so-called “new generation” catalog and includes a number of web 2.0 services. Among these are faceted searching, direct links to Google Books and Google Scholar, WorldCat, and the Open Library, as well as various means of exporting records, and, of course, full integration with social networks. A “browse shelf” function provides for the viewing of books in call number order and is completed with links to tables of contents, excerpts, or the full text of titles in Google Books, thus replicating the browse experience and opportunity for discovery directly within the catalog. Most importantly, the new catalog offers the technical means to ensure a sustainable development of library services and to take advantage of new opportunities provided by linked data and the semantic web. Koha is compliant with all current library standards and continuously improved by a wide community of developers and we benefit from regular free upgrades. Library users are able to take advantage of customized browser extensions and web services, such as xIBSN and LibX, which permit to search references to a publication on the web directly in our catalog by highlighting keywords or clicking on ISBNs [instructions]. Our users may also remain abreast of new acquisitions by the library in their fields of interest by saving a search and subscribing to an RSS feed that will automatically alert them when new resources matching their search are added to the catalog. Of course, the catalog is also accessible on mobile devices.
The new catalog further opens the door to the implementation of a circulation system based upon radio-frequency identification (RFID), which will be the Library’s next important project. The identification of our holdings through RFID will enhance security and establish control over the collections, as well as improve our readers’ experience and provide user-based statistics. The inventory control provided by RFID will also facilitate our upcoming reclassification of the collections to the Library of Congress classification system.
The Arthur and Janet C. Ross Library remains a full member of the URBS consortium, and we will maintain a joint catalog with URBS libraries.
For additional information, questions, or comments, please contact Sebastian Hierl, Drue Heinz Librarian, at s.hierl [at] aarome.org (s[dot]hierl[at]aarome[dot]org).