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Tuesday, August 8, 2017

8 Ways to Become a Library Catalog Power User

Library Catalog | Public Libraries | How-to | Info Lit



This is a guest post from Abby Hargreaves. Abby is a New Hampshire native living and working as a Children’s Librarian in Washington, D.C. She fulfills the gamut of the librarian stereotype with a love of cats, coffee, and crocheting (and she likes a good run of alliteration). Her favorite color is yellow.


Sample Catalog Record
By Tomwsulcer (Own work) [CC0], via Wikimedia Commons
Whether you’re searching your local library catalog from home or looking for items while in-house, you’re probably overlooking some cool features in your library catalog. When I’m working the reference desk at the library and a visitor asks about the availability of materials on a particular topic, one of my favorite things to do is show them some tricks so they walk away not only with what they need, but with a solid grasp on how to make the catalog work for them in the future. 

Libraries use different software systems, so all of these features might not be available at your local library. Librarians and administrative teams often appreciate feedback on catalog systems, however, so if you see something you like, talk to your librarian about adding it. Read more...

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