National Library of Australia - Gateways

ISSN 1443-0568 | no. 76 | August 2005


Libraries Australia—Giving It a Personal Touch

The recent release of Libraries Australia in mid-July provides an opportunity for library staff and their clients who have access to Libraries Australia to interact in a more personal way.

Currently many libraries have shared access to Libraries Australia. This means that alerts, saved records and saved queries can be seen by all who have access to that ‘account’. The latest release of the software enables individuals to create their own personal ID or login and set up a personal profile specifying a default search screen (Search, Advanced Search or Command), default databases and up to three libraries; whereby the system will alert you to holdings in those libraries, eg at 5 libraries including your library. A personalised login also provides access to a personal folder for storing saved records, search queries and alerts. Libraries can choose whether or not individual logins can set up alerts and/or can request interlibrary loans. 

Libraries wanting to offer personalisation to their staff or patrons should provide the following information via email to the Kinetica Helpdesk (kinetica@nla.gov.au)

1. A list of the Kinetica User IDs from which the library will allow personal accounts/logins to be created.

2. Specify whether those personal accounts can:

  • have access to pay-per-search databases (RLG, OCLC, APAIS)
  • create alerts
  • request interlibrary loans
  • access Libraries Australia only via the library’s internal authentication system, or from any PC with Internet access

Libraries Australia also offers a new simplified loan and copy request form via the ‘get this’ screen, which interlibrary loans staff can use to request interlibrary loans through Libraries Australia. The form interacts with the Kinetica Document Delivery system. If your library is not a member of KDD, a formatted email can be sent to an email address. Libraries wanting access to this form should contact the Kinetica Helpdesk.

Another limit was added with the latest release computer files, and further improvements made to the Online Limit to exclude material without a link to the electronic version of the item. These additional limits follow on from others that were added in late May—large print,  printed music and musical sound. Users are also notified, after having set limits, that limits are on when they return to the search screen to do another search. There is now also an opportunity for small libraries not able to afford an annual subscription to APAIS to have access to this database on a pay-per-search basis.

In all, there have been four revisions of Libraries Australia since its launch in December last year, adding improved functionality and new features in response to suggestions from staff in Australian libraries and the National Library.

—FRAN WILSON, Director, Collaborative Resource Sharing Services, fwilson@nla.gov.au

KINETICA ANNUAL USERS’ MEETING: 22 SEPTEMBER

More information about Libraries Australia and the progress of the Kinetica Redevelopment Project, including the new Cataloguing Client will be available at this year’s Kinetica Annual Users’ Meeting to be held at the new University Club of Western Australia in Perth on 22 September. There will be something for all library practitioners, with three parallel sessions in the afternoon for cataloguers, reference librarians and interlibrary loans staff. Staff from libraries and agencies who are not Kinetica members are also welcome. A library tour organised for the following morning will offer the opportunity to see a range of libraries—academic, public and state. The full program and registration details are available online at <www.nla.gov.au/kinetica/aum/aum05/aum05.html>

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