The University’s integrated library system—the online tool through which students can search for books, articles, and other e-resources—will be updated to a more powerful system on June 30. The system, which will maintain the name “OneSearch,” will allow for students to search for online resources more efficiently as well as find resources from Conn College and Trinity College.
“This new system launch means next semester is the perfect time for all students at all levels to come talk to a librarian and learn how to better formulate their research topics and search results,” said Caleb T. Winchester University Librarian Daniel Cherubin in an email to The Argus. “It’s what we’re here for!”
As a member of the CTW Library Consortium (Connecticut College, Trinity, Wesleyan), those affiliated with the University are granted access to shared resources from any of these institutions through a library catalog system. The newly updated system will be used by all three schools.
Cherubin also discussed the reasons behind the impending switch.
“One of the reasons for the switch is that our many resources, such as databases, online journals, and our reserves system, did not easily ‘speak’ to our old catalog system,” Cherubin explained. “This meant more work on the back-end, as well as multiple places users had to search to get a more complete set of results.”
“Imagine having the same operating system on your computer that you had in 2003, while everything else moved forward…. It’s a very similar issue,” he added.
In a University-wide email sent out on May 5, Cherubin noted that this change should have very little effect on students. The email stated that items checked out by students will remain checked out, and the process of putting items on reserve for courses will also remain.
“If you have items saved to ‘My List’ in the library catalog,” the email notes, “export or email them to yourself before June 30.”
The email provides a link to a site containing FAQs about the new system.
Cherubin noted the positive effects of the shift and described his hopes to provide access to records that aren’t currently in the Library.
“The new OneSearch will be able to gather more results from more Library resources and show you the results in a single search,” he explained. “Phase 2, which we hope to launch in a year or so, will also capture records from other Wesleyan collections that aren’t in the Library, such as the Archeology Collection and departmental libraries.”
Cherubin explained that this shift would not have been possible without the University librarians.
“The decision to move to an updated catalog system was already in discussion for a few years,” he explained. “I was apprised of the final decision to go with our new system just before I arrived at Wesleyan last June. I have to give huge props to people here at Wesleyan Libraries (and all of CTW) who not only did thorough due diligence in finding the right solution for us, but for also working tirelessly this entire year to ensure everything is ready to go when we switch over on June 30th. It was not a small task.”