Nahant Library to debut new cataloging system

NAHANT – Nahant Library Director Jen Inglis is finally getting her wish to move the library into the 21st century with a network that will put circulation online.Inglis said the network Massachusetts Catalog (MassCat), isn?t quite up to the standards of the program used at the libraries in Swampscott and Lynn, which use the North of Boston Library Exchange (NOBLE), but it?s a step in the right direction.?Eventually we?d like to transition to NOBLE, but we have to find funding for that,” said Inglis.MassCat will eventually allow Nahant library patrons to check the availability of as well as put holds and renews on books online, accessed from any computer.Inglis said the elimination of the card catalog will free up a lot of the library?s staff to assist patrons further and run things more smoothly.?It will completely revamp work flow for staff and attention we can pay to customers while we are here,” said Inglis.The library has been operating on the outdated system where librarians must go to the actual site of a particular book on a shelf to check if it?s available, taking them away from the desk where they could be helping more patrons. MassCat will also increase deliveries of books borrowed from other libraries to twice a week.The Library Board of Trustees voted to approve the network at their Sept. 18 meeting, but it could take up to six months to get the system running, said Inglis.Library staff must first record every book in the library into the system, a project that will require assistance from “computer-savvy” volunteers.?This is going to take a long time,” said Inglis. “It?s a huge project. It?s going to be a huge transition for everybody.”Inglis hopes to acquire the equipment and training necessary so she, the staff and volunteers can get moving on the project as early as November. After that, Inglis said it?s just a matter of getting library cards to the patrons so they can start borrowing and sharing books with other libraries.Nahant?s collection is the second-largest among MassCat?s network, said Inglis, which is made up mostly of libraries in the western part of the state. Inglis hopes to move to NOBLE soon, but the annual fee of $25,000 versus MassCat?s annual fee of $7,500 proved to be too high for this year?s budget.Kait Taylor can be reached at [email protected].