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Shared Library Services Platform project: Changes to Search

A change is coming to search, including the Libraries catalog and databases. Learn more about the project and what to expect.

Change is Coming! New Article Discovery and Library Catalog System Debuts at USC in June

Beginning in June 2020, University Libraries researchers will have a new tool for discovering articles, books, movies, music, manuscripts and more in one search. The single user interface will replace the Multi-Search and the Library Collections tabs on the Libraries website. For the first time, researchers will be able to use this same search interface to check to see if we have a journal online or in print. Both basic and advanced search options will be present for all the combined content. 

By default, search results will be limited to print and online materials available in or through University Libraries, but researchers will be able to expand the scope of their searches with relative ease. For example, users could choose to include book results from PASCAL Delivers in order to request books from any of the other academic libraries in South Carolina. Users can also opt to search for articles that are not included in University Libraries’ current subscriptions. Traditional browsing (e.g., by title, author and subject) will also be supported.  

USC joins South Carolina’s other 54 academic institutions in implementing this next-generation shared library system. The new system will increase efficiencies in managing electronic and print resources and will provide greater opportunities for collaborative collection building. Harvard University, the SUNY Libraries Consortium and the Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Illinois are also recent adopters of the same system. 

We’ll need to “freeze” our current system as records are migrated to the new system, which will affect purchasing. University Libraries will be able to accept purchase requests through February 15, 2020.  After that time, Acquisitions staff will determine if we’ll be able to fully process a request in our current system before the freeze or if the purchase will need to wait until we transition into the new system. You will still be able to check out items and place Interlibrary Loan requests.  At some point closer to the transition the PASCAL Delivers service will be temporarily suspended.