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Worldcat Local: A Solution that Changes Everything. Angi Faiks and Johan Oberg. Macalester College:. Small, private, liberal arts college St. Paul, MN 2,000 undergraduate students. ~90 countries represented III Millennium 8-school shared catalog. Choosing WorldCat Local.
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Worldcat Local: A Solution that Changes Everything. Angi Faiks and Johan Oberg
Macalester College: • Small, private, liberal arts college • St. Paul, MN • 2,000 undergraduate students • ~90 countries represented • III Millennium • 8-school shared catalog
Choosing WorldCat Local What appealed to us: • Research library experience • Simple search • Smooth transition from find to get • Easy implementation • Searching the world, not just our stuff What we wanted: • A ‘catalog’ solution offering a better experience, ASAP!
How were our choices received? It's a Bird...It's a Plane...It's a fill in the blank • On-going conceptual change • No easy definition of the new system • The word “catalog” rarely used Why does it not easily lend itself to a name? • Includes a wide range of materials • Does not contain all possible resources
Feedback • Users report satisfaction • Initially looked for old catalog • Searches in old catalog dropped dramatically and quickly Easy to teach: “Students like the Google-likse search, and getting good, ranked results. Students initially did not want to try it, but once I showed them, they were hooked on WorldCat Local. I'm hooked on WorldCat Local.”
Feedback from faculty Positive reactions from faculty: • “It’s amazing what students are able to access.” • “Love that students are searching WorldCat automatically and I don’t have to force them. This is so much better.” • “Wow. This is terrific! Makes my job much easier--and gives me faster access to more knowledge, and an easier way to distribute it to students. Thanks.”
Future • New possibilities • Web-scale • Mobile access • Open development and the API • More digital content
Lessons • Google and Amazon is the mental model • Be bold – put new service front and center • Searching what *we* own is an outdated notion • Take a few risks…