Kansas Consortium Integrates Library Systems

  • By Dian Schaffhauser
  • 07/28/09

A consortium of libraries at two-year colleges in Kansas has selected Auto-Graphics' AGent Verso for its integrated library system (ILS). Participating libraries will also be receiving AGent Iluminar. The latter is a Web services-based user interface built using the open source Adobe Flex framework. It employs display technologies such as 3D Flip and Cover Flow book jacket display--made popular by Apple iPod--as well as enhanced drag & drop functionality. Also, it allows users to modify their own user experiences through "My Lists" and "My Account" customization options.

Butler Community College in El Dorado, Cloud County Community College in Concordia, Dodge City Community College, and Flint Hills Technical College in Emporia, among others, have opted to implement the new technology using the software as a service (SaaS) hosted delivery method.

"Our libraries are currently working with legacy systems that no longer meet our needs. AGent Verso has a strong presence in Kansas and with the new AGent Iluminar interface and [the] hosted environment, we feel that AGent Verso is the right choice for each of us," said Janet Anderson-Story, librarian at Flint Hills. "We are pleased with how easy it's been to work with the Auto-Graphics staff and are excited about starting the academic year with a new ILS."

The consortium members will also implement Auto-Graphics' powerful AGent Search federated search component, allowing users and staff the ability to simultaneously search electronic resources, bibliographic databases, and the open Web, delivering aggregated results for all sources searched. In addition, members will receive the clustered search engine and faceted results display, and these libraries will have access to each other's holdings through their shared catalog.

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

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