PCLS and its member libraries have been working hard over the past four months to bring our patrons a better browsing experience and a more intuitive online catalog of library collections. Today, Aspen officially launches!
Top Five Things to Love about Aspen
- The Amazing Color Customization: it just feels like us! We (of which Sally is a rock star) were able to match our site to our logo. This creates a visually pleasing landing page for our patrons. Nothing screams generic like a cut-and-paste website. No library is generic. Each has a unique feel. We hope you agree that this new catalog feels like home.
- It’s Dynamic: we can create browsing categories based on our patron’s needs, book recommendations, or special themes (like the #BeThe1To which highlights our mental health collection in conjunction with Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month). It integrates our digital platforms with our collection topics giving you more robust access to all of our library’s offerings.
- The Message Center: open, transparent, factual information is what libraries do. And in this ever-changing landscape we are in right now, we recognize the need to share information that impacts our public as soon as possible. To that end, we are still open to the public during our regular hours: 10am-6pm M-Th, 10am-5pm Fri, and 10am-2pm Saturday. We will keep you posted of changes in the hours or ways we will be able to serve you. Being able to do so on the catalog–the only place some of our patrons visit–is helpful in reaching as many people as possible.
- Macro to Micro in the Click of a Button: seriously, this new catalog feature that narrows down or expands the collection in a matter of seconds will rock your world. Looking only for items available now? Or at Meinders Library? Or across all of PCLS? Simple. The banner at the top of your search does all the heavy lifting. Looking for a good series on dog books for your first grader? Narrow your search on the sidebar. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.
- EVERYTHING IS IN ONE PLACE!!! Remember how you would put a regular old book on hold and end up with an audio book or a large print copy? (Don’t worry, we did it, too.) The records were confusing. A person could spend half a day trying to find exactly what they wanted. No longer. Because EVERYTHING IS IN ONE PLACE. I just typed in The Martian by Andy Weir and got one record.
Aspen will appear slightly different depending on which device you are using. The screenshot above was from my phone. If you click the pic, you will be taken to the desktop version. Regardless of how you browse our catalog, you can still access it the same way you always have by clicking on our sidebar link: Plum Creek Library System Catalog. If you’ve bookmarked our old catalog, you will need to update the link.
Or, you can access the catalog via the LiDA app. To find the app, simply open your phone’s camera and hover it over the appropriate QR code. Once you download the app, you will need to enter Meinders Library as your home library and sign in with your library card and pin number.
I hope you enjoy this upgrade to your browsing experience! If you have any questions, give us a call. We can learn together!
jody~