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| Vol. 5, No.2 |
Fall 2004 |
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from the Library Director .....
Welcome Backее Summer time at Parkland Library is traditionally the time we attend to projects that cannot be tackled during the rush of the full semester. Remodeling, book shifting, carpet laying, painting, and book inventory are just some of the projects we've undertaken during the last few years. The summer of 2004 was no exception. Only this time the project was gigantic! The Library became a member of ILCSO and migrated to ILLINET Online, the universal catalog for 65 academic libraries in Illinois. The work of converting our library automation system took the prize for the biggest and most complex work done in many years. More about this on the following pages. The library staff worked extremely hard to convert the data and migrate to the new system. The adjustment to new ways of doing things -- everything from discharging books to how they are cataloged -- is ongoing, and the difficulties are completely invisible to our patrons (who, by the way, have reacted very positively to the changes). They are particularly pleased with the MyAccount feature and enjoy being able to request and renew online. As a member of the ILCSO consortium, Parkland Library patrons can now access and borrow from other member libraries and have the materials delivered to any of the 65 libraries. Interest in our collection is growing, and we've seen a steady increase in requests for our materials from across the state. We anticipate this will continue. None of this could have been possible without teamwork among the library staff and Mark Barnard and Bryan Diller from Campus Technologies. Thank you very much. ее At the start of the fall semester we enthusiastically welcomed Leah Broaddus to the Library and Parkland College. Leah is the new Instruction Librarian and assists patrons with reference and research at the Information Desk. Come by and introduce yourself if you haven't met her yet. Earlier this semester we said cheerio to Lori Sprague who took a position as a clerk in Admissions and Records. The work of Archives continues, so remember to send your "treasures" our way and contact a librarian in Information Services if you have questions. ее In Information Services, old research computers were replaced with attractive, space-saving CPUs and flat-screen monitors. Almost in constant use by students, there is often a wait for a free machine. Many thanks to Kathy Ehman and Adam Meade from Campus Technologies for their work with the installation and configuration and for their ongoing computer support. ее Whew! It's busy up here. Students are making good use of resources and the expertise of the librarians, and at times there's barely a spare seat in the place. If you want to be certain to find an empty study table or have extended time to work with a librarian, I suggest you visit the Library before 10 a.m. or after 5 p.m. during the week or on Saturdays 10 a.m.- 2 p.m. Stroll over to the Reading Lounge and you'll notice a new collection of leased bestsellers. Promotion of reading is central to our work, and we have many patrons who specifically come in for leisure reading. Go ahead and let us know what you think of this program. Bring your latte and laptop to the Library and surf the Web. Yes, soon you'll be able to work on your own laptop in several wireless areas of the Library. Watch our webpage for the wireless launch date. Sorry, despite frequent requests, we won't be opening a coffee shop any time soon. Make Parkland Library your library ... it's here for you. We invite you to stop by for a visit; but just remember to bring your own cappuccino! --
Anna Maria Watkin "Libraries
are the one American institution you shouldn't rip off." |