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Smith,
Five Colleges Introduce New Online System
 As
Smith’s library users log on to search for and reserve
books and other materials in the coming weeks, they will see
a new, friendlier format that emphasizes broader access to
Five College libraries resources and search customization
capabilities.
Beginning Monday,
August 28, Smith’s libraries, along with those at the
other Five College institutions, will switch to a . The new system, though it will
appear different from its predecessor, will contain all the
search capabilities of the previous system while adding new
functionality.
“This new
management software is easier to use and vastly increases
the libraries’ abilities to accommodate our users’
research needs,” says Chris Loring, director of libraries
at Smith. “I think those in the college community who
use the online system to search for and acquire Five College
library materials will be pleased.”
Perhaps most importantly,
the new system will facilitate searches of holdings in all
the Five College libraries simultaneously, including those
in the University of Massachusetts libraries, previously only
accessible through a separate search. That means some 6.5
million items -- the collective quantity of Five College Library
system holdings -- will now be available in a single search.
Further, users will now be able to:
• tailor
searches, limiting them to one institution, language,
time period or format (such as books, DVDs, or theses);
• save searches to personal accounts; and
• eventually receive alerts when new materials of
interest become available. |
The new library
management software is made by Ex Libris, a worldwide software
company that specializes in library and information systems.
The company’s products are used by most of the nation’s
top universities, including Harvard, MIT, Brandeis, Duke,
the University of Notre Dame, and the State University of
New York (SUNY).
During the transition
to the new system, online links will be highlighted on the
Smith libraries home and research pages. Tutorials for the
new system will also be available.
During the upcoming
weekend, August 26-27, as the library management system changes,
there will be a 24-hour hiatus during which no online catalog
will be available. During that hiatus, access to will not be affected.
-Eric Sean
Weld
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