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Updated Library Web Site Features User-Friendly Interface
Jul 02, 2009 (Grunion Gazette - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) --
With the recent launch of the Millennium Integrated Library System at the Long Beach Public Library, the library's Web site has a new look that librarians say will make catalog searching easier.
"You can tell we are in the 21st Century now with 21st-century technology," said Glenda Williams, acting director of Library Services at the Long Beach Public Library. "The new system gives the public the chance to interact more with the library and have an overall richer experience."
Before June 23, the 12 libraries in Long Beach were using the Horizon Integrated Library System that had a more traditional interface for searching the library catalog by title, author or subject. While that type of search option still remains, the Millennium system features a tool called Encore that permits library patrons to search the catalog with keywords, much like performing a Google search.
"Encore makes the library catalog much more user-friendly," Williams said. "The library is all about giving people access to the information and supporting lifelong learning. This system has features that save time, both for librarians and patrons."
Another reason the libraries have adopted the Millennium system is its lower yearly operating cost. Williams said the library's five-year contract had expired with Horizon this year, and it would have been more expensive to renew it at a cost of $531,700 to purchase the system and a $205,000 maintenance fee each year.
The Millennium system cost $414,000 to purchase and its annual maintenance is $147,000. The Long Beach City Council approved the purchase in December 2008.
"The system was grant-funded, so there was not an impact on the city's budget," Williams said. "People were concerned with all the cutbacks and furloughs taking place lately that we were spending money, but now we are actually saving the city more money and we have a system with more features. This is really the best of both worlds."
Julianna Robbins, digital services librarian at the Long Beach Public Library, said patron feedback has been positive so far. The library homepage has a demonstration of how to use Encore and there is a "Frequently Asked Questions" section.
"It's easy to explain the new system to patrons," she said. "For us as librarians, it is really important for people to be able to do searches themselves and to discover things they may not have known before. When patrons call the library looking for books, we don't have to spend a lot of time searching for them. We can come up with answers faster."
The Encore search tool gives patrons the opportunity to post reviews of books and send books they would like to check out to their cart. Once an account is created using a library card, the system will send notices to patrons alerting them before books are due.
Robbins said another feature the new system provides is the opportunity to do "federated searches." A federated search scans many databases simultaneously and lists the most pertinent results.
"We have subscription databases on all types of subjects like biography, health and science, and they are all linked to the search tool," Robbins said. "The tool is especially great for high school and college students because it provides reliable sources of information. And they can use it from outside the library, because we realize that people can't always have the time or transportation to make it here."
David Henry, a Long Beach resident, recently tried the new system and said he liked it more than the old one. Henry had been looking forward to the debut of the new system.
"I had been to libraries that had better systems," Henry said. "I come to the library weekly if not more. The old system had problems and was very outdated. The new one is much more intuitive. I'm really impressed with what I've seen."
For more information on the Millennium Integrated Library System and to create an account, visit www.lbpl.org.
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