History @ CUL

Welcome new library home page

As of  July 1 the new Cornell Library website went live.

This new website is going to be much better. It has a responsive design for ease of use on mobile devices, a new catalog, and a new single search interface with combined search results page. (It’s been publicly available on the beta site at https://beta.library.cornell.edu/ since January.) Making the change now, gives us time over the slower summer months to respond to feedback and make adjustments before the fall semester begins.

This transition will include the following changes to existing systems:

• The new catalog is an easy to use, powerful catalog (using open source software called Blacklight which is very sophisticated and customizable) and we think you will like it a lot. It draws its information from the Classic Catalog (still the “real” catalog) and other library systems.

• The familiar and powerful Classic Catalog will remain as a link off the new [Blacklight] Catalog main page as we continue to work to include all functionality of the Classic Catalog into the new system.

• The current catalog so prominently featured on the library home page (WorldCat Local) will still be available for easy requesting of non-Cornell items and will be more integrated into the system as a secondary search under a Libraries Worldwide link.  This link will show up in the single search box results screen as well as in the new [Blacklight] catalog.

And later this summer, the following changes will be implemented:

• “Database Names” is being rebuilt, but will maintain the same structure and functionality, with the added benefit of being able to highlight the top databases in each subject category. You may find that the new catalog does an excellent job at getting you into your favorite databases quickly and easily.
• “E-journals” will also transition, but will maintain the same searching functionality, and add more browsing options.

Please feel free to contact me, or the Library Discovery & Access Implementation Team directly at cul-dafeedback-l@list.cornell.edu with any concerns you may have, including feedback about any potential loss in functionality you anticipate.

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