Changes were put into effect in December
The MacEwan University Library will be changing over its catalogue software at the end of the semester. The change will improve the look and functionality of the library search bar and make it easier to borrow resources from other libraries unavailable at MacEwan. The new system will be in place on Dec.11, 2024, which means there will potentially be some inconvenience to the student body just as they enter the final exam period.
The new system that MacEwan opted for, called Ex Libris, offers a far more usable and intuitive discovery function and the addition of a library phone app that will be in place by next June.
“The nice thing about this new system is that we can borrow from all the other libraries that are on the same system as us with the click of a button,” says Preethi Gorecki, the communication and business librarian at MacEwan. “Say there’s an article at U of A that they’ve scanned for at another library. It’s already in the system, and then if you want that article, if you click on it, you’ll get it immediately.”
However, the decision to make this change was due to outside forces. “A lot of people don’t know this but we actually pay the University of Alberta to do our catalogue for all of our records for physical and electronic items,” says Gorecki.
Currently, the deal is a consortium of several universities (Concordia, Kings, Lakeland, etc.) that pay the U of A to handle their cataloguing and house all the data. A year ago, according to Gorecki, the U of A decided that they didn’t want to continue being that hub and would begin taking steps towards bringing in an outside vendor, recently also choosing Ex Libris.
Initially, MacEwan hoped to complete the transition to the new database in August. Because the demand would have been significantly less on the library catalogue, according to Gorecki, but due to vendor constraints, they could only facilitate the migration this December or next summer. Therefore, MacEwan opted for the earlier date rather than continuing to pay into the less reliable U of A system for another full year and instead chose to allocate some of their budget towards other projects like the ongoing soundproofing of the library.
Gorecki recognizes the decision to install a new system at exam time is an inconvenience to the students, but doesn’t think there will be a steep learning curve for anyone. “Right now, we have a kind of complicated search (function). It’s going to look more like a Google search,” she says. Citing that other universities like U of A, U of C, and Waterloo all have opted for the same integrated learning system.
Gorecki says she’s excited about the change and how it will make it easier to conduct research and search for sources. She urges that if students are having difficulties with the new system they should feel free to reach out. “Go to your subject librarian. Chat with us. Come visit us if you’re struggling,” she said, “I think it’ll be really great. I think it will help a lot.”
Photo by Amanda Erickson
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