New library system highlights e-resources

Hastings District Libraries will make it easier for library users to access the contents of their collections from Thursday, 16 May 2013.

Hastings District Libraries are the 16th public library, and the third in 2013, to adopt Kōtui – a high quality shared service that provides participating New Zealand public libraries an affordable, efficient option to help manage their collections.

District Libraries manager Paula Murdoch says Kōtui makes it possible to search most resources; books, e-books, DVDs, magazines, and full-text articles from a single access point, such as a computer or smart phone, from home, school or business, or from within the library. The service also allows people to view the digital items online or put a hold on the print items they want to borrow.

“While it has taken some time and effort to prepare the library and our staff for our go live date, we are excited about the benefits it will bring to both customers and staff,” says Mrs Murdoch.

“This option better meets our community’s needs now and into the future.”

The Kōtui service has been progressively rolled out at public libraries around the country since September 2011 including those in Taupo, Wanganui and Palmerston North. At least 17 local authorities are expected to be using the service by the end of 2013.

Customers already using Kōtui are delighted with the service, with patrons saying how much they love the new interface and having such a spread of information and materials at their fingertips.

Kōtui is a business unit of the National Library and is available to all New Zealand public libraries on a subscription basis. The National Library of NZ is now part of the Department of Internal Affairs, so Kōtui is a collaboration of central and local government resources providing services to public libraries around the country.

Kōtui comprises five components: a system to manage a library’s physical items (provided by SirsiDynix), a search facility across a library’s physical and electronic items (provided by SirsixDynix Enterprise, incorporating eResource Central and EBSCO’s EDS), a centralised data hosting service (provided by Computer Concepts Ltd) and a wide area network link between the Kōtui hosted environment and the Council environment (provided by Snap!). The National Library provides the fifth component, the New Zealand based support and administrative function for the Kōtui Library Service.

The concept and delivery of the Kōtui Library Service is the result of collaboration between a group of public libraries, the Association of Public Library Managers (APLM), Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) and the National Library.

ENDS

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