UMass Amherst Libraries Hosts Next Generation Library Catalogs
Librarians from UMass Amherst, the Five Colleges, and around New England will gather for a program about "next generation" interfaces for library catalogs. Guest speakers include: David Lindahl, Director of Digital Library Initiatives, University of Rochester Libraries; Anne M. Prestamo, Associate Dean for Collection & Technology Services, Oklahoma State University Library; and Jennifer Ward, Head of Web Services, University of Washington Libraries. This program is sponsored by the Five College Librarians Council with support from Simmons College Graduate School of Library and Information Science.
A number of new software systems present "Amazoogle"-like experiences for online library catalog searchers. They are growing both in numbers and in innovative features, and they are being either developed as open-source resources or marketed by vendors. Endeca, WorldCat Local, Primo, Encore, AquaBrowser, Evergreen/PINES, the WordPress-based catalog Scriblio, and the eXtensible Catalog (XCat) are some of these Web 2.0-enabled "NextGen" interfaces.
Following an opening talk on changes emerging with the launch of NextGen library database interfaces, speakers from libraries that have implemented WorldCat Local and AquaBrowser will demonstrate their catalogs. They will explain why they decided to adopt this technology and how the new interfaces have been received by library users.
For more information, contact Anne C. Moore, Associate Director for User Services, UMass Amherst Libraries, at annem@library.umass.edu or (413) 545-0148. For more information about the program and to register, visit the event website.