It’s Automatic: Library Automation as a Catalyst For Transformation
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7710/1093-7374.1975Keywords:
Oregon librarians, Oregon libraries, Oregon Library Association, Oregon Library Association Quarterly, Pacific Northwest libraries, PNW libraries, library jobs, library careers, librarian, librarians, cataloger, cataloging, metadata, data, migration, ILS, integrated library system, organization, future organization of things, technical services, training, cataloging training, Reed College, Washington County Cooperative Library Services, WCCLS, discovery layer, BiblioCommons, Pacific University, library automation, automation, Warrenton Community Library, Seaside Public Library, ArchivesSpace, Hillsboro Public Library, design thinking, library processing, Eureka! Project, 5 Whys, Lean, archive, archives, archival, scholarly, OER, open electronic resources, Linn-Benton Community College, Mt. Hood Community College, LBCC, MHCC, facets, faceted vocabulary, faceting, faceted searching, faceted search, University of Oregon, Alma, Cedar Mills & Bethany Community Libraries, future of cataloging, cataloging trends, fuAbstract
Between October 2018 and February 2019, the Warrenton Community Library began a transformation of library services. With the funding and support available through a 2017 voter-approved levy and a joint LSTA grant with the neighboring Seaside Public Library, this small coastal library was able to introduce a full suite of online services to its patrons. Just as importantly, Warrenton was able to join a shared ILS environment and facilitate patron access to a wider range of resources.
Previously, the library used card-based checkout. A simple MARC software application was used to create a catalog of bibliographic records accessible only to staff. In 2018, the license for the MARC database expired and the library no longer had a catalog of its materials. The collections became accessible only by browsing.
Warrenton patrons embraced the many outstanding services provided at the library: a diverse selection of resources, collection development that is responsive to patron needs, and a supportive, small-town atmosphere. However, it was time to embrace the opportunities afforded to Oregon libraries in the digital age.
This LSTA project, for which I served as Project Manager Librarian, resulted in many expanded services. These included circulation and expanded resource sharing in a shared ILS. Warrenton also joined the Oregon Digital Library Consortium, developed a new library website, and provided patrons with access to Gale databases.
For this article, I will be focusing on the systems and cataloging aspects of the project. Through the four months of automation work spent in Warrenton, I gained a new appreciation for the interconnectedness of library services, as the change in systems drove transformations both anticipated and unexpected.
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