The New Library Catalog and You

In one week, if all goes according to plan, University Libraries will jump over to a new (excuse the library terminology) Integrated Library System (or ILS). I know that sounds really boring, but it is actually quite exiting and will affect you. An ILS is basically a collection of databases that controls much of what we do in a library, including cataloging all of our items, keeping track of our patrons, circulating items to patrons, tracking what periodicals we have received, etc. The front end of the ILS is the library catalog. You know, that thing you use to find what we have in the library. This will be new as well.

The new catalog is the biggest difference for you and you’ll definitely want to spend some time getting to know it. The searching is radically different from our current catalog in that it will be much more forgiving if your search isn’t quite perfect. For example, you’ll no longer have to put AND between your terms. Like Google searching, it is assumed. Unfortunately, it is tricky to use OR, so come see me if you want to do that. It also will forgive some minor spelling mistakes and will look for any words that start with what you typed (this is called truncation, if you were curious). For example, typing symphon will find symphony, symphonies, symphonic, symphonie, etc. This is very useful in music, where these generic names are often slightly different than what you expect. There are a lot more changes in the catalog, and I’ll try to introduce them to you a little at a time.

The other big difference that you may notice is that we might be a little slower at circulation as we get used to the new system. Just be patient; we’ll figure it out as quickly as we can!

As always, feel free to ask any of the library staff if you have any questions or need any help. Enjoy!

Odds and Ends from the Allen Library

I don't have any big topic to write about right now, so I'll just pass on some odds and ends, some of which will be larger blogs later on.

• We're introducing a new library catalog in mid-late July. We're still working out some of the kinks, but there will be some exciting new features.


• We're also developing a new website for all of University Libraries, which we're hoping will go live in September. Among the new features will be a catalog search from the homepage and easier access to subject guides.


• It's not fully processed yet, but we have a second copy of The Rest is Noise by Alex Ross. It's been so popular that it has almost always been on course reserves. The second copy will remain in circulation.


• Anyone interested in 4-week loan periods?


• We haven't had pistachios here for quite some time. Very sad.


• SuperSearch is going the way of the Dodo and will soon be gone. It just never worked as well as we all hoped.


• In case you were one of the many asking about it within the last year, we now own the DVD of Doctor Atomic. SPOILER ALERT: Robert Oppenheimer was a ghost all along!


• New database with music resources: Fine Arts and Music Collection (Gale)

I hope you enjoyed today's session of Odds and Ends from the Allen Library. Join us next time for The Allen Library vs. Mechagodzilla.

Allen Library Sheet Music Collection

Did you know that we have some music that isn't in the catalog? It's true! We have a sheet music collection comprised mostly of songs within the Popular Music genre. While a lot of it is somewhat obscure these days, a good amount of it actually is popular. The collection ranges from songwriters of the early 20th century to rock music to musical theatre and a whole lot in between. While this music isn't found in the usual catalog, you can still search for it on our website at: http://library.hartford.edu/allenlibrary/sheetmusic.asp. It isn't the most advanced search engine ever, but it should do the trick. If you find anything you want to look at, they can all be found in a cabinet in our small seminar room. This collection doesn't leave the library, but you should be able to find plenty of uses for it in the library. As always, if you need help finding anything, the rest of the staff and I are more than glad to offer our assistance.

IMSLP: Free (and legal) Online Scores

I want to introduce you to an amazing online resource called IMSLP (or the Petrucci Music Library, named after Ottaviano Petrucci, the first significant music publisher). IMSLP stands for the International Music Score Library Project and calls itself the “free public domain sheet music library.” Essentially, IMSLP is a collection of digitized scores that are in the public domain. The scores range from the medieval to the 20th century, although there is much more in the middle.

While there isn’t very much available after 1922 (nearly all scores printed before 1923 are in the public domain in the US), there is still a ridiculous amount of music available. As of this writing, IMSLP hosts 28,580 scores, which even includes some manuscripts (such as Bach’s St. Matthew Passion). Just like Wikipedia, this resource is quickly growing, as it had 26,000 scores just a few months ago. That is certainly much faster than we can purchase and process physical scores here at the library.

While there are many other websites that provide access to digitized scores and manuscripts (see our Scores Online page for more), IMSLP has quickly risen to the top of the list. Much like Wikipedia, it is user-generated (but moderated, in this case), allowing for the growth that only a community of dedicated scanners, uploaders, and editors could provide. So, if you can’t find a piece in the library, you aren’t out of luck yet. Give IMSLP a try!

NOTE: Although IMSLP is based in Canada and thus follows Canadian copyright law, they do an excellent job of blocking US and EU users from content that is not in the public domain in those areas. However, if you plan to use works found on IMSLP for performance purposes, it is still your responsibility to be absolutely certain that they are legal copies. If you have any questions, feel free to consult me.

That New Box on the Website

Some of you might be wondering what that new box on the website is. Well, just as it appears to be, it is an instant messaging box. Unlike most instant messaging tools, however, you don't need to install any extra software and you don't need to log in to use it. When I am at my desk, all messages sent through this tool (called Meebo, by the way) go directly to me. When I am not at my desk, the messages go to one of my co-workers. If none of us are available, Meebo will show us as offline, so you never have to worry about somebody outside of the Allen Library trying to answer your Allen Library related questions. So, what can you use this for? Anything you want. Just ask a question and we'll do our best to answer it. You can still ask questions via email, phone, or in person, but this is another way that we can help get you the answers you need.

Allen Library is on Facebook

I’m going to do a little cross-promotion here and let all of you blog readers know that the Allen Library is also on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/West-Hartford-CT/Allen-Memorial-Library/64186236429?ref=mf). For those of you currently scoffing at the idea of a library on Facebook (“Libraries should just store books!”), let me tell you that this is the best way to keep up-to-date on the small things happening at Allen. For example, while I had a blog entry on the start of the book sale, I did a Facebook update when the sale went half off. If you become a “fan” of the Allen Library on Facebook, you will receive all of these little updates.

Another reason to join the page is so that you can get your voice heard as a member of the Allen community. Not only can you post comments on the main page, but you can join in discussions. Currently, I have a discussion open simply asking what we can do better. Although we always strive to anticipate your needs, it is always advantageous to get direct feedback so that we can constantly improve our services. So join in the fun and become a fan!

Food for Fines

To celebrate National Library Week (I bet you didn't know it existed), Allen and Mortensen Libraries will be holding a Food for Fines week, starting Monday (4/13) and ending Sunday (4/19). This will be an opportunity for you to cut back on how much you owe us while helping the community at the same time. For every non-perishable item you bring in (such as canned goods), we will forgive $2.00 in fines. These fines could be old ones or new ones generated from returning an overdue item. We will, of course, also accept donations from those of you with no fines on your account. All of the food we receive will be donated to local food pantries. The only fines that won't be forgiven are those already billed to the bursar or those for Lost Items that have not been returned. So, if you want to do some good while lowering your fines at the same time, drop by sometime next week and bring in some food (non-perishable, of course)!