I have a feeling I'm missing something here. Our catalog (Innovative) has a public interface and multiple staff interfaces - one for cataloging, one for circulation, one for acquisitions, etc. Any staff interface has lots of information that the public has no need to see. The public interface is designed specifically to meet the needs of the public and shows only that information that is useful to the public. (For instance, the staff can see how much we paid for something and what fund the money came out of. The public would have no interest in that information and cannot see it.)
Is this what you are talking about when you say dual interfaces?
--
Jean Harden, Music Catalog Librarian
Libraries
University of North Texas
PO Box 305190
Denton, TX 76203-5190
(940) 565-2860
jharden_at_library.unt.edu
>>> On 9/17/2007 at 1:50 PM, in message
<AA8403492BF77844B94115278FF2349511BD1B_at_mercury.co.douglas.or.us>, Carol
McGeehon <clmcgeeh_at_CO.DOUGLAS.OR.US> wrote:
> I agree we need to develop dual interfaces. One for the public and one
> for the staff. I'm a SirsiDynix customer using the WEB2 catalog
> originally from Data Research and I've set up a staff catalog which can
> be accessed internally because of the needs of a previous cataloger.
>
> Definitely our public wants something much different than our staff
> wants and I firmly believe staff needs should be met with a different
> interface than our public. Currently I use the same interface and have
> left functionality turned on which we have turned off in the public
> catalog.
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Next generation catalogs for libraries
> [mailto:NGC4LIB_at_listserv.nd.edu] On Behalf Of Jerri Swinehart
> Sent: Monday, September 17, 2007 11:13 AM
> To: NGC4LIB_at_listserv.nd.edu
> Subject: Re: [NGC4LIB] As a Library 'decision maker'
>
> At 01:20 PM 9/17/2007, Deb Bergeron wrote:
>>While I realize that creating a well-designed catalog for all users
>>(including catalogers) is a controversial subject, what I don't quite
>>understand is why this is an issue when we now have the ability via
>>open-source to develop dual-catalog interfaces that 'play well' with
> ILS
>>modules, thus giving us the ability to design for both the patron and
>>the staff (librarians/catalogers). What am I missing?
>
>
> I think the future of cataloging as a profession first came
> up because the Library of Congress (LoC)decided not to create series
> authorities. There was gossip on the cataloging listservs had LoC
> doing away with subject headings. I think it woke a lot of catalogers
> up that the traditional catalog, which is now online might very well
> go away. So cataloging jobs would change or disappear. Change can be
> a very frightening thing for folks especially when they've spent
> their lives doing their work the same way.
>
> My own opinion is that I want a catalog that is available
> 24/7 on all those nifty and expensive electronic devices that
> everyone (but me) has today. I also want a more robust keyword
> searching mechanism than is currently available (at least on
> Voyager). I also want to be able to add more keyword searchable
> information to bibliographic records. If that means not using MARC so
> be it. A well-designed metadata schema, a few standards for entry, an
> ILS that supports it et voila! We can begin to give library users (at
> all levels)what they want in the way they want it.
>
> I also think that before sitting down to the nuts and bolts
> of how to do this that the library users need to be surveyed. What do
> all library users at all kinds of libraries want? Or feel they need?
> The answers would, I suspect, change the way in which ILSs are
> designed, the way in which information literacy classes are taught,
> and also change the way in which catalogers do their jobs.
>
> Sorry...I'll go back to lurking now.
>
> Jerri Swinehart
> MLIS
> Library Assistant III
> Oakland University
> Kresge Library
> Technical Services
> Rochester, MI 48309-4484
> swinehar_at_oakland.edu
>
>
> --
> This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by
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>
> Douglas County, Oregon
> www.co.douglas.or.us
Received on Mon Sep 17 2007 - 13:40:58 EDT