Tuesday, September 28, 2010

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.
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2 comments:

  1. GillianSeptember 29, 2010 at 12:32 PM

    A good overview of iLink; we often (well, always) complain about OPACs in the library world, but when you think about it, they do perform a wide range of functions

    Do you think iLink is "easy-to-use" for patrons? A lot of library literature focuses on how limited opacs are in comparison to search engines like Google. This might be an interesting read, if you're interested: http://www.alatechsource.org/blog/2006/03/how-opacs-suck-part-1-relevance-rank-or-the-lack-of-it.html

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  2. Shelley DicksOctober 5, 2010 at 10:50 AM

    Our patrons state that they find iLink "easy-to-use" once they attend our orientation class. These are sessions offered to our students at the beginning of each semester where we provide infomation on iLink and it's purpose, how to use iLink, and research techniques that are useful within iLink. At times we get students who have missed an orientation; however, upon spending some time with these students they usually find what they are seeking without to much difficulty.

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