Comments on: using the catalog

By: Richard X. Thripp

Richard X. Thripp — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 14:05:32 +0000

I agree; the catalog is an essential good. Just because it hasn’t made as much progress as it should doesn’t mean we should (or can) throw it out.

I’ve been hearing of a few libraries abandoning classification schemes, and just grouping subjects together intuitively. The catalog becomes less useful then. With a Dewey Decimal code + author’s last name you can go right to the book on the shelf after looking it up, but if there’s no organization you can’t. Even shelving the books by barcode number is better than nothing, though no one does that because it would make you completely dependent on computers to find anything.

By: Citizen Reader

Citizen Reader — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 02:03:50 +0000

Oh my God,
What now? Who now? WHO doesn’t use the catalog? (I’m saying that like on Seinfeld: “Who doesn’t want to wear the ribbon?!?!?)

I LOVE my library catalog. Sure it’s clunky but it sure gets the job done. I order what I want, I check out an author’s work, I use their monthly “new in the catalog” lists, even now and then I browse (and request!) weird titles that just happen to sort around a title that I’m searching for.

And, p.s., Amazon blows for that sort of thing. And I hate their new feature with the related titles and the weird arrows that let you scroll from side to side–it takes twice as long to load the page as it used to. Bleah. That’s too much technological advancement, if you ask me.

By: Kaijsa

Kaijsa — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 17:10:35 +0000

I agree with you. I know I’m at an academic library, so lots of our students and faculty are searching for subjects rather than known items or authors, but I really see the catalog love from our many public patrons. They also want to see what we have on a topic or by a particular author, and they really don’t want to wander our six floors of stacks to do it.

What we really need is a catalog that provides a good user experience with little to no learning curve. I’d embrace that sucker with open arms.

By: your mom

your mom — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 17:04:44 +0000

yes–and I miss the old card catalogues, where a whole lot of stuff would be in the same drawer (or 3, if you were doing a Shakespeare term paper). And the random interesting things you could come across just because they were next to Shakespeare. Can’t do that on-line. Of course, I actually had to go to the library to use it, but I forced myself once or twice a semester. love from your mom, also a literature geek.