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Migration? What Migration?
Barbara Fister
No, we’re not talking geese. PALS, our online catalog system introduced to Gustavus in 1987, is being transformed into MnPALS in 2004.
Some years ago the state legislature appropriated funds to develop a new state-wide catalog that would offer one interface for the University of Minnesota libraries, the Minnesota State College and Universities system libraries, and those of many private colleges.
The look will be different, but we think you’ll like the change. Refining and limiting a search should be easier than ever. There will be new options for users to keep track of books that interest them. And, once the integrated interlibrary loan function is up and running, it will make it easier to place requests for books from many Minnesota libraries, including those at the University of Minnesota, which is already using this new system.
As with any change, there will be a period of adjustment. The library staff are working hard to migrate data to an entirely new system and we know there will be occasional glitches. We’ll keep you apprised of issues as they arise through the library’s Web site.
What About Interlibrary Loan? We will continue to order the books and articles you need from other libraries. For a few months, you won’t have the option of ordering books from other libraries found through our catalog at the click of button—though the MnLink union catalog for Minnesota libraries will continue to offer that feature and an online form will still be accessible from our Web page.
For more information about the migration, or to see how the new catalog is working at other libraries including the University of Minnesota, click on the migration link on the library’s Web page.
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