iBistro / iLink, Our Library Catalogue

Our library uses iBistro/iLink software, a product of SirsiDynix, to accommodate our staff and students. It has the tools required to increase productivity, help identify opportunities for cost savings, and give insights that will improve our patron’s experience. Our patrons expect speedy and relevant search results, and the added content and social networking features that ilink has to offer. This software from SirsiDynix makes it easy for our patrons to connect with our library. Our patrons can expect to:

• Have access to “easy-to-use” search techniques 
• Have online access to library accounts; allowing them to place holds, order interlibrary loans, or request books for purchase
• Avail of flexible circulation policies
• Be capable of renewing materials
• Be alerted when new materials of interest arrive
• Have access to the library database from home or an outreach location

Within SirsiDynix Symphony, iBistro/iLink is our online public access catalog (OPAC). It provides access to information and resources from within our library or over the Internet. It “uses the latest Web technologies to provide personalized service, ease of searching, and information that library patrons are accustomed to seeing on websites, with no additional work for library staff”.[1] Our patrons have access to:

• Library catalogue
• Catalogued websites
• Subscription databases
• Electronic books, journals and magazines
• Digital collections

---

[1] “Symphony:  Overview”.  SirsiDynix.  SirsiDynix, 2010.  http://www.sirsidynix.com/products/symphony.  September 23, 2010.

Are Blogs a Benefit to Libraries?

We don’t blog at our library! That’s not to say that we won’t someday…blogs can be an excellent tool that a library can use to help fulfill its role as an information provider.

First of all, we need to gather the facts. To find out exactly what a blog is and how it can support us in our daily work. Blogs, for the most part, are websites to which an individual can add content expressing his/her opinion on a given situation or to comment on some event. The site is open to receive responses from readers who also have an opinion or comment on the posted content. Individuals post to his/her blog usually on a scheduled basis; otherwise, they may lose interested readers. Blogs can link images, text, media data and objects, and can link to other blogs that are posted in chronological order.

Blog services are cost effective, provide a user friendly interface, are easy to update, and can increase communication between creators and readers. There are many other advantages to developing a blog. They offer:

1. A form of Archiving

Blogs offer a way to keep track of all postings in a site and the ability to organize and present articles by author or alphabetically; at the personal preference of the blogger.

2. Instant Notification using “Feeds”

“Feeds” is special software that allows readers to access sites of interest automatically. Whenever new content is posted or if content is updated, readers are instantly notified. This provides a way for readers to keep up with the latest information that is posted on their sites of interest. Some “Feeds” include RSS, Atom or RDF files. RSS and Atom is more or less the same thing: a “feed” of regularly updated content.

3. Easy Access to Sites of Interest: Blogrolls

Blogrolls are a list of links to weblogs or web pages the author of a blog finds interesting. The links in a “blogroll” are usually to other blogs with similar interests and is located on the "sidebar" of a page.

4. Instant Feedback using Comments

“Comments” is a feature used in blogs that allows users to comment upon articles posted in a weblog. The author of a blog has the ability to monitor and control the comments of comment posts such as deleting unwanted comments and approving wanted comments.

5. Orientation Opportunities using Video

Blogging using a video can provide information visually, increase the audience to include those individuals who prefer watching over reading, and provide a different format of presentation such as making it easier to demonstrate tutorials.

Blogs can provide up-to-date information on events, activities, news, and services. It can be used as a promotion tool the library can use to notify its readers. It is easy to publish content online and offers an instant feedback resource. Upon knowing all the advantages and benefits of having a blog, the next step is getting the approval from our superiors. Why wouldn’t a library have a blog if the site is inviting and assists in increasing traffic to its doors?

Academic Libraries

Circulation Desk
Corner Brook Campus Library

Because I work in an academic library my postings will consist of information that is pertinent to the students and staff at College of the North Atlantic.

Academic Libraries:  What we offer

We provide a collection of resources and services, organized for easy access, that provides support to the College’s curriculum, and also serves the instructional and research needs of our students and staff.  The resources that we offer comes in many different formats including print, audio, and visual materials.  We are experts at finding, organizing, and interpreting information needs.  The most important and exciting part of our jobs as librarians is dealing with the students and staff of our institute. Our Library is an essential tool at our College.

Students may have access to the following services at many Academic Libraries:

·                        Qualified Staff

·                        Convenient Hours of Operation

·                        Information Relevant to their Course of Study

·                        Convenient Online Access to a Library Catalogue

·                        Library Tours

·                        Quiet Study Area

·                        Access to Instructor Reserves

·                        Intercampus and Interlibrary Loan Requests

·                        Journal / Periodical Requests

·                        Online Database Access

·                        Research Assistance

·                        Online Renewal of Resources

·                        Access to Local / Provincial Newspapers

Students also have access to equipment that is readily available for use in the Library:

·                        Binding Machine / Supplies

·                        Photocopier / 10¢ per Sheet

·                        Cutting Board

·                        Laminating Machine / Supplies

·                        Video Viewing Room with TV / DVD

As library representatives to the faculty, academic libraries serve as an information resource and advocate.  To this end, the following services may be available for faculty:

·                        Library Tours and Orientations for their students

·                        In-class Instruction

·                        Reserve Services

·                        Intercampus and Interlibrary Loan Requests

·                        Journal / Periodical Requests

·                        Online Database Access

·                        Research Assistance

·                        Video Viewing Room

·                        Requests for Purchase

Equipment that may be available to faculty include:

·                        TV / DVD Equipment

·                        LitePro / Projection Units

·                        Laptops

·                        Projection Screens

·                        Flip Charts

Welcome

First of all everyone should know that this is my first blogging experience.  Please be patient as I try to understand all that is involved as I experiment with this interactive and popular software publishing tool.  To start, it is unfortunate that I read more into the participation portion of our course than was necessary and had to make some changes to my blog (I created a mock blog for my campus library).  From reading the participation objectives, my impression was that we would have to create a blog and post to that blog each week with relevant information that pertains to libraries.  However, it seems we have to post our weekly discussion piece to the blog we create along with “Part B: Create Posting”.  I was making it more difficult than it actually was!  So I had to modify my blog to what you are now viewing.  However, I was so impressed with www.blogger.com that I am considering and investigating the possibility of a blog for our campus library as an information source for our students and faculty.

As you all know, I chose to use www.blogger.com to create my blog (this became a permanent decision thanks to Anne)...but I was having problems creating a RSS Feed.  After days of research on the problem, the answer was quite simple.  With only a few steps I created a RSS Feed within the site.  All I had to do was select “Add a Gadget”, scroll down to “Subscription Links”, add the title or heading, and select “Save”.

My problem is not knowing the software and how it is intended to be used.  With time and repeated use of this site, the problem should be rectified.

Shelley

Participation for

Library Studies 2606:  Advanced Topics in Library Technology