SORCER

The recent revamp of the library’s OPAC (Online Public Access Catalogue) has also seen the introduction of Sorcer, a new search tool providing library patrons with more personalized access to the library collection. Sorcer has been developed by Civica, the software provider who supply our library management system, and it greatly enhances the capability of the catalogue, making it more user-friendly and utilising Web 2.0 technology and concepts. Sorcer can be accessed through the library’s catalogue, either at the library or online via our website.



Sorcer has the tag line ‘order out of chaos’, and while we might suggest that our catalogue is far from chaos, SORCER does allow for more comprehensive searching of the catalogue to be carried out with greater ease, and all from a single interface. Anyone can browse and use Sorcer but to get the most out of it you need to log in. If you already have your own online account at the library you have all you need to get going with Sorcer. Otherwise it’s a simple matter of registering a password which we can do at the issue desk.


Sorcer allows for a more personalised catalogue search by taking note of previous borrowing history and making suggestions for further reading based on this. Sorcer will also suggest reading, viewing and listening material based on the usage of other library patrons with similar interests to you. The more you use Sorcer, the more accurate it will become in being able to offer suggestions for books, CDs and DVDs you might enjoy. You can also customize your Sorcer view by going in to the ‘My Account’ section and ticking or un-ticking the different available options.


From your own Sorcer account you can look at information about your borrowing including any loans (or overdues) on your card, current reservations, your alert profiles, any reviews you have added, and your borrowing history. Alert profiles enable Sorcer to present books you may be interested in such as Bestsellers, Recent Biographies, or books that have been reviewed by other library users. At this point you can also check on your personal details and make any necessary updates. Sorcer also allows you to link with online ‘friends’ with whom you can share recommendations for books, DVDs etc.


It is still necessary to use the ‘My Account’ function found on the library catalogue to renew any books on your card or to cancel a reservation. All it takes to activate your own account, either for Sorcer or the existing system is the addition of a password to your library account. This will take staff a matter of minutes to activate and then you’re ready to start utilising this new addition to the library’s catalogue.


All next week (August 29 to September 2) library staff will be making a special effort to let our borrowers know about SORCER and get them signed up to start taking advantage of its many features. We will be offering help and training to borrowers, and we also have a good selection of giveaways for those who are interested in giving it a go. SORCER is an exciting expansion of our service and we hope that many library users will make use of its amazing potential.