A[L@@a!' a~~~(J)~a News: MSC staff assistants will aid students in dealing with administration.
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Feature: It's become a popular holiday, but do you know its origins?
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MetroStyle: MSC's music department expands its horizons with two operas.
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Volume 5, Issue 10 漏 Metropress October 27, 1982
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Co-op libraries linked by computer - I
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by R.P. Bellizzi
Beginning next semester, the Auraria Library will be linked to six other Front Range libraries by a computer system in a cooperative effort to improve library service and yet reduce costs.
The PAC, or public a~ catalog system, will be used by the Colorado Alliance of Research Libraries, which includes the libraries at Auraria, Colorado School of Mines, Colorado State University, University of Col路orado at Boulder, University of Denver, University of Northern Colorado, and the Denver Public Library. The on-line system will allow instantaneous inter-Ubrary com,_ munication which will facilitate reserving and borrowing materials between libraries. "It's become too expensive_for a library to go out and buy everything that's published," said f Carol Woodford, ~istant to the Auraria library's director. "The PAC system will be a way- for -~
users will be required to have a basic level of ''information literacy." "People will need the skills to find information in order to be effective consumers," Woodford said. While the PAC system will one Users would quickly learn The PAC system is considered where a desired book or journal is "user-friendly" in that it will 路 day make the card catalog as we kept, as well as its availability. A guide users through its operation know it obsolete, Woodford courier service will operate bet- step-by-step. The system will save stressed the catalog will be around for some time, at least until the millions of AllianceUsers will utilize a terminal much the way member holdin~ are logged into the system. they would use the_library's card catalog. these libraries to continue to serve time the system will be in a "test users' needs." phase." "Students will have an opporWhen the system is in opera- tunity J:o have some input before tion, users will utilize a terminal the system is finalized," Woodmuch the way they would use the ford said. "We still don't know library's card catalog. what all the possibilities are."
ween the participating libraries to move materials from lenders to borrowers. The system has been in the planning stage for five years while all the details were be.i ng worked out with the manufacturer, Data Phase International of Kansa5 City. Woodford said the Auraria library will have several terminals in operation by the beginning of the spring semester, at which
people a lot of time they would ordinarily spend using the card catalog. The system will also have a scanning capability. The user will input general and/or specific information about a desired topic, and PAC will respond with a list of related publications, as well as . suggestions for similar topics. Woodford considers libraries information services, and believes
However, she sees the PAC system as a useful adaptation of computer technology. Once in full operation, PAC will ha.ve terminals not only throughout the library, but throughout the campus as well. In order to facilitate the changeover to the new system, students will be required to have their Auraria IDs altered slightly to enable them to check out materials and use the system early Cootinued on page 3