The University library's online catalog, Josiah, will be upgraded over the course of the year to increase its user friendliness.
Additions to the catalog system will include new calendar functions, a spell checker and integrated search features. Students using Josiah will be able to search for videos, browse new books, check past inquiries and look at their reading history.
Simplification is a major goal of the renovations and additions to Josiah, said Brent Lang '04, communications and marketing specialist for the library. Students are "going to see more of Josiah as the go-to place," Lang said, citing easier interlibrary loan processes as one positive result of the upgrades.
A new method for searching the library database is also in the works. Librarians said they look forward to search pages that emulate search engines like Google, to which more students are accustomed.
"We are going to consolidate searches onto a single screen," Lang said.
"These are ideas that libraries have been talking about for a few years," said Bonnie Buzzell '72, senior knowledge systems librarian. "We are not behind, but we certainly are not ahead."
Buzzell anticipates that features such as a viewable reading history will help students with bibliographies. Students would be able to sign in to view their search history, and they could sign out or clear the history at any time, she said.
Librarians are considering additional upgrades, including book jacket image displays accompanied by links to reviews and a feature that would enable students to narrow a general search into categories, as they can on Amazon.com.
"What's happening in the field is spurring us to improve our own services," Lang said, adding that some of the ideas came from undergraduates themselves in focus groups held last year.
"There is no additional cost" to implement the upgrades, Buzzell said. "It is mostly staff time."
Buzzell encouraged students to contact the library with feedback, comments and suggestions as the upgrades are implemented.
