Information Today
Volume 17, Issue 8 • September 2000
TLC Unveils CATNOW! and New Library•Solution Interface, Upgrades ITS•MARC

The Library Corporation (TLC) has announced the release of CATNOW!, its new Web-based data-entry cataloging system, and the introduction of a new Java interface for its Library•Solution circulation module. The company has also announced that it has enhanced the ITS•MARC database to include 340,000 Chinese, Japanese, and Korean records.
 

CATNOW!
CATNOW! was designed to assist those libraries that implement retrospective conversion by using volunteers or untrained staff. According to the announcement, it presents an inexpensive, yet highly effective tool to perform current cataloging via the Internet.

“Now anyone from librarian to occasional volunteer can tackle the cumbersome task of cataloging with this innovative new product. CATNOW! is particularly user-friendly because the data-entry function is performed in a basic screen—devoid of complex cataloging information,” said Annette Harwood-Bakhtiar, president and CEO of TLC. “In that way, the staff member simply enters basic information into the program, prompting a search for corresponding MARC records from the ITS•MARC database. In addition, CATNOW! differs from traditional enrichment processes in that MARC records are provided for all entries, not just the perfect matches.

“The advantages of CATNOW! for the smaller library system are considerable—speed, low price, 100-percent delivery, and ease-of-use for untrained staff. The new product is also representative of TLC’s ongoing commitment to provide the very best in library automation and cataloging services to libraries of all sizes and types,” said Harwood-Bakhtiar.
 

Library•Solution Interface
The new Library•Solution Java interface frees libraries to utilize any platform—Windows, Macintosh, UNIX, or Linux—for circulation terminals rather than migrate to one platform. By operating the new module as a Web-based application, libraries need only employ an NT server to run the application. End-user terminals simply require a Web browser to provide full access to the library’s circulation information. With the application running on the server, system requirements of workstations—RAM and hard-drive space—are minimal, enabling the use of existing equipment.

“The economical benefits of TLC’s Java interface are clear: Libraries won’t be required to cast aside older equipment and purchase new computer systems as long as their terminals support Web browsers,” said Harwood-Bakhtiar. “An added advantage is that the interface can be modified by library staff. In addition, the Web-based application allows TLC more flexibility in customizing user interfaces.”
 

ITS•MARC Upgrade
TLC’s expanded database, Asian MARC, is specifically engineered to allow libraries with Asian collections to add quality MARC records to their cataloging. The composition of Asian MARC is approximately 46-percent Japanese, 40-percent Chinese, 13-percent Korean, and 1-percent other languages. Records include descriptive information in Japanese, Chinese, or Korean in Western script, translated into English.

Harwood-Bakhtiar said: “We anticipate that the addition of Asian MARC to our cataloging features will significantly expand the use of ITS•MARC in numerous international markets and be of particular value to libraries with collections catering to the study of Asian cultures—notably academic libraries of institutions offering Asian-study programs.”

Source: The Library Corporation, Inwood, WV, 800/325-7759, 304/229-0100; http://www.tlcdelivers.com.


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