Next-gen Library Catalogs

Book excerpt: Today's Web-savvy users often bypass traditional library catalogs for more interactive, tech-friendly interfaces. Help your library stand out within the crowded landscape of information providers with Marshall Breeding's new, highly practical guide to interactive next-generation library catalogs. Learn how to give your users access to a wide selection of print and electronic content with this jargon-free, step-by-step guide. Breeding outlines the important functions and features of next-gen catalogs, briefs you on all of the available commercial and open source software, and helps you select which products are right for your library's next-gen catalog. You'll learn to lay the groundwork for practical implementation, integrate the catalog into your existing technological environment, address a multitude of common implementation issues and concerns, and assess the impact of your Catalog so you can demonstrate the change you led. There is a thorough glossary with definitions for all key terms, and as with all the Tech Set guides, material is presented in a manner that is both accessible to non-technical professionals and useful for systems librarians.