The new connection method provides flexibility to our adjunct catalogers who work in other places outside the main Cataloging unit, either in the main library or in the branch libraries. These catalogers can now work from their offices and do not have to come to the cataloging area. As a result, these catalogers are more efficient, and we better use our computing resources. We plan to raise the number of simultaneous users again to meet the demand for the OCLC access in both the Cataloging unit and the Interlibrary Loan office. The combination of multitasking workstations and the new access method has changed the work pattern of the staff in cataloging.
Staff can now stay at a single workstation to complete the processing sequence.
While it increases the work efficiency of the staff, some staff work all day at a workstation, so the Automated Library Systems unit has begun to order 17-inch monitors for all the work area workstations to ease eye strain. Similar work pattern changes in interlibrary loan also occurred. Overall, NIUL's experience as a field test site was positive. The cataloging staff also took part in the field test of OCLC's CatME for Windows.