Electronic access to information from the library catalogue Available to Purchase

The academic library user demands a variety of information, but moving between the online catalogue and other databases can be difficult, confusing and cumbersome. Indeed, the ability to access information directly from the library catalogue, without the need to repeat the search on the Web or an alternative database, would provide a useful advantage. Information Services at the University of Sunderland has employed Pac Plus for Windows (running on Costar software), an Ameritech Library Services online public catalogue product to provide an alternative to, but not replace, the existing front end of the public catalogue, and to facilitate the provision of access to full‐text examination papers, module guides and selected journal contents papers. The project looks at the scanning and set‐up implications, advantages, user reaction and future developments.