Catalog Search: CML’s Experience

Maria Armitage

Amy Barnes

Digital Services

Columbus Metropolitan Library

Overview ILS Background

Why CML Implemented a New Catalog

Lessons Learned

Tips for Buy-In

Where We’re Headed

ILS Background Homegrown ILS developed in the late 80s,

launched in 1988

OPAC was launched in 2000 – no substantial

changes made since then

Needed a solution that could be integrated with

existing ILS system

Lessons Learned Don’t default!

Fix it fast!

Know your numbers!

MARC magnified!

Catalog users ≠ web users

Buy – in critical!

Tips for Buy - in Staff

Communicate

Play

Transition

Customers

Transition

Knowledgeable staff

Who’s Talking?

I “heart” the catalog!

- Staff member

Your new catalog search

is needlessly complicated

and hard to use. The old

search was much better.

If it isn’t broke, don’t

fix it. - Customer via webmail

comments

Please let whoever needs to

know that this patron is

totally knocked out by the

new search engine.

- Customer via webmail

comments

“Well it’s pretty obvious that no librarian or researcher was involved in deciding the search criteria for the new library catalog.”

- Customer via webmail comments

Where We’re Headed See and see also Federated Database integration Social networking Events Additional

enhancements

Questions?

Maria Armitage Amy Barnesmarmitage@columbuslibrary.org abarnes@columbuslibrary.org