Torchbearer: Spring 1998

New Catalog At Library

Computers probably won't ever replace books, but they are the tools of choice to locate books in libraries.

UTK has a new online library catalog (no small feat for a collection of 2 million volumes) that lets users with computers point and click their way to the information they need. Users can log on to pac.lib.utk.edu:8000 from their personal computers or those in any of the UTK libraries. The World Wide Web-based system allows searches for key words, an author's name, or several other options.

In a flash, the computer tells the user which books, periodicals, maps, or films contain the information requested, even helpfully noting whether the items are checked out. The user can get more detailed information about each item and save the search results. And it doesn't matter whether the user is at a Windows or a Macintosh machine or which Web browser he or she uses.

For example, a search for documents with "torchbearer" in the title yields Torchbearer of the Revolution by Thomas Jefferson Wertenbaker, Torchbearer of Freedom by Carl Cone and, voila! the Torchbearer newsletter. You can click on each title for more complete information about when and where it was printed, where the volume is located, and the publisher's name.

The libraries' first online catalog went into use in 1987. Dean Paula Kaufman says the new system is more user friendly and flexible enough to accommodate change and add new features.

Try pac.lib.utk.edu:8000 from your personal computer. While you're in the libraries' website, you can also explore copious reference resources, get access to government publications, and discover other features.

Return to Spring 1998 table of contents.





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