Portage County Public Library Launches New Web-based Catalog
The
Portage County Public Library launched its new catalog, the Voyager
System from Endeavor Information
Systems, on December 16, 1999. The catalog is a joint
venture with the UWSP Library and UW-System. The Web based catalog
provides access to graphics and digital images, plus future audio and
video. Patrons have access to their own circulation information, and
staff workstations will support graphics and full Windows capabilities.
The address of the new catalog is
The catalog provides a seamless interface between the two libraries, allowing Portage County and UWSP library users to search and use the services of both libraries in a single step. To use the simultaneous search option, select a search type (author, title, etc.), and select the "multi-search" tab option:
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On the next screen: 1) click on the library catalog(s) that you want to search; 2) click the Connect button to connect to the catalog(s) you selected; 3) click the Clear button to unselect any catalog(s) you have selected. |
The library joins Voyager libraries across the globe, including the National Geographic Society, the Library of Congress, the National Library of Medicine, Northwestern University, Pennsylvania State University Libraries, the University System of Georgia, the University of Wales, Stockholm University, and the National Library of New Zealand.
The partnership is the first joint online catalog venture in Wisconsin between a UW-System library and a public library. However, the two libraries have a long and rich history of cooperation, including the implementation of one of the first wireless Internet connections to a public library in the country. The directors of the libraries, Arne Arneson at UWSP and Bob Stack at the Portage County Public Library, agree that this level of cooperation between public agencies can only result in a major win for library users. By sharing the knowledge, technical, and management resources of the libraries, services can be offered that would not always be available if each institution had to fund and maintain the resources on their own. The UWSP Library staff is experienced in the management of multiple database systems, having served as the host for the library system of the 13-campus UW-Colleges since 1990.
UWSP implemented the new system on July 1, 1999. The Web address of UWSP's catalog is http://spoc.uwsp.edu/