Tag Archives: I-Share

New Library Catalog (and More) Launched

Posted by on July 2, 2020 No comments

With help from our colleagues at the Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Illinois (CARLI), we have completed our migration to the new Ames Library catalog, I-Share catalog, and article databases, also known as “MegaSearch.” Launched on June 24th across the state, our new system provides enhanced searching, requesting, and delivery options for library users, and new tools for management of library resources for library faculty and staff.

While requests for materials from other library collections, both through I-Share and interlibrary loan, remain limited owing to the impact of the coronavirus on library services across the world, you can still use the new MegaSearch to discover and gain access to materials in the Ames Library collection (including curbside delivery, beginning July 7th), and to access digital resources including electronic journal articles, e-books, and streaming media. If you would like an introduction to the new system, please review this tutorial.

The migration to the new library catalog has been ongoing for over a year, and would not have been possible without the concerted efforts of library faculty and staff preparing materials, updating records, and trouble-shooting data and workflows. We look forward to introducing you and your students to the new system in the Fall. If you have any questions, please contact your liaison librarian.

Ames Library Catalog, I-Share, and MegaSearch Changes in June

Posted by on June 2, 2020 No comments

In partnership with our colleagues across the Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Illinois (CARLI), the Ames Library will update our public-facing and internal library systems to provide a better user experience and more seamless discovery of our print and electronic materials. This new integrated library system (Alma) will “go live” on June 24th, and customizations will continue as needed.

On the library home page, you will still see our MegaSearch search box and you may use this for searching either our print and electronic (full-text) holdings, Ames Library Catalog, and/or I-Share.

We are excited to share with you the following enhancements and search features and hope to roll out more soon.

Enhancements include:

  • Log into the system with your University NetID and password
  • Easier access to I-Share resources due to shared system records
  • Email notifications when you check out or return an item
  • Longer and more consistent loan periods for some of our physical items
  • Real-time updates to records making the availability of materials more timely

New search features include:

  • Improved known-item searching
  • Print and electronic holdings display on one merged record
  • Quick searching based on Title, Subject, Author, etc.
  • Virtual Browse feature for print books to see related books by subject area

Finally, please note that the library catalog does not reflect new purchases made after May 1st. After June 24th, all new purchases will be added to the catalog, and availability will also be updated to reflect a book’s status. Access to electronic resources, such as ebooks, streaming video through Kanopy, Swank, or Alexander Street Press, electronic journals, and online databases, will not be affected by this change.

We do not yet know when borrowing through I-Share will resume. All fines and due dates have been suspended for items borrowed through Ames or other I-Share libraries.

More information on the “Alma and Primo VE migration” project is available at: https://www.ila.org/publications/ila-reporter/article/130/alma-and-primo-ve-migration-changes-coming-for-carli

If you have any questions, please contact your liaison librarian or access Virtual Consultations Tuesday through Friday between 1 pm – 5 pm. We will have more information, including online tutorials, after June 24.

Thank you for your patience as we navigate this transition!

New Libraries Join I-Share

Posted by on April 17, 2018 1 comment

Four new libraries have just joined the Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Illinois (CARLI) I-Share program! The new libraries are the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library, Springfield; the Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership, Chicago; the Moody Bible Institute, Chicago; and the McHenry County College Library, Crystal Lake. Says CARLI’s Senior Project Management Coordinator, “With the addition of these libraries’ collections, the I-Share union catalog now contains 14.7 million unique bibliographic records representing the holdings of 90 CARLI member institutions. The combination of this enormous consortial collection with I-Share’s resource sharing services gives I-Share library patrons ready access to a collection that ranks among the world’s greatest research libraries.”

Photo courtesy of Randy von Liski.

To create an I-Share account and start borrowing books and other items from this wealth of libraries, click here. The full list of member libraries is located here.