Library transitions to new online catalog
WebPAC, Utah State University’s Library System’s online public access catalog, will be replaced within the next few months by the IPAC or Internet Public Access Catalog, said John Elsweiler, head of USU’s Library Reference Services.
“We’re moving from the first-generation system to the second. As time continues we’ll progress to the third and fourth generations. That is how the Internet works,” Elsweiler said.
He said the new IPAC interface is more user-friendly. Along with keyword searches, users can access an advanced or alphabetical search. Users will also be able to print or e-mail marked records and look up where records are located.
“The WebPAC system was just redesigned to meet the needs of the clients, which are the students,” Elsweiler said.
The engine the new system is run on is much faster and more efficient than the old one was, so the searches provide their results faster. Typing the letter ‘a’ in a keyword search will now bring up more than 240,000 records in five seconds, whereas the old system would have not responded at all.
The IPAC system should be fully in effect after spring break, Elsweiler said. He said Library Reference Services hopes to let everyone have the opportunity to become familiar with the system before it is adopted.
The WebPAC and IPAC systems were both created and powered by Epixtech, a Provo-based company that provides database search programs to libraries and companies worldwide.
“We think this is the more positive direction that we should be going,” Elsweiler said.
Students wanting to access the new interface can do so through the library’s Web site, www.usu.edu/~library.