Library Catalog: New Look and Features Coming August 4th
Posted in: Homepage Features
On August 4th, our library catalog, powered by OCLC’s WorldCat Discovery, will be getting a new, modernized look along with some other new features. Working with librarians around the world, including librarians from our own Sprague Library, OCLC has redesigned the WorldCat Discovery interface to meet the expectations of our users by providing an experience similar to what you expect from everyday websites. The new interface was created to comply with current web accessibility guidelines and boasts a responsive design where the interface adjusts to the screen size of users automatically. Some of the other updates to the interface include:
- redesigned search results page
Search results will have a new layout and a bit more information.
- highlighted search terms
The search terms you enter will be underlined in yellow, both in the list of results and in item records. This will make it much more apparent why you got the results you did and then help you determine if they are relevant.
- item details that are more visible
Item details (physical description, language, subject headings, table of contents, etc.) are now more easily found in each item record.
- an access options box
When you open up an item record, a new box will appear on the top right side of the screen to show you how you can get access to the item. The box will let you know if an item is available online, located in the Library, and if not available from our Library you’ll see the “Interlibrary Loan Request” button which will take you to a form to request it from another library.
- access online “drawer”
If an item has multiple online access options, a “drawer” will slide open after you click on the “Access Online” button, which will allow you to select which link you want to use (will list the platforms, for instance JSTOR vs. ProQuest vs. HathiTrust).
If you have questions about any of these changes or about using the library catalog in general, please reach out using our Ask a Librarian service.