Powerful, new VCU Libraries catalog online

By Mike Frontiero
VCU School of Education

It's now easier to find that obscure book or journal article you were looking for. Virginia Commonwealth University Libraries has upgraded its electronic catalog to a more powerful system that enhances access to the Libraries' collections and services.

The system is accessible from the libraries' Web page (www.library.vcu.edu/catalog), just like the previous catalog, but offers additional user-friendly features including new search and browse functions; the ability to mark, save and e-mail records; and customizable preferences for displaying records.

The same system was adopted recently by top-tier institutions such as Harvard University, the University of Notre Dame and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

"Our previous system was expensive to maintain and no longer supported by the manufacturer so we had to find a new one," said University Librarian John E. Ulmschneider. "What we got was the best, leading-edge technology available."

Developed by Ex Libris Inc., the ALEPH 500 integrated library system, as it's called, manages catalogs, circulation of checked out materials, reserves, journals, and financial relationships with publishers and suppliers. "It makes the life of the user much easier," said Ulmschneider.

While users with an Internet connection don't need to set foot in the library to access the system, Ulmschneider says more people will come inside looking for the materials they located in the system. "More students and faculty are using the library than ever before because of the Internet," he said. "The library is still the only place that brings people, print and digital collections together in one place."

More people are also using the Internet to search for books on the libraries' shelves, as well as the more than 50,000 electronic books and journals that can be read on any computer screen. "VCU users expect a state-of-the-art catalog system when they need us," said Ulmschneider. "And that's what we've given them."