OneSearch, Partnerships, and Sustainability

When pondering the question of how can we create a “sustainable” future, it is helpful to note that relationships, partnerships, and opportunities to collaborate are an integral part of the answer. A fundamental  aspect of “systems thinking” is understanding how we all fit together, and recognizing that what we do affects not only the world we belong to, but also impacts each other.

This is of course, also true of libraries. In today’s environment of increased information, expanding research needs, and shrinking budgets, libraries have begun to actively turn towards cultivating partnerships to help them leverage their resources in order to share more access to more information with more people. 

As you may know, Western Libraries is a member of the Orbis Cascade Alliance, which is a consortium of 37 academic libraries in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. The Alliance is also a living example of how principles of sustainability can be incorporated into a dynamic, innovative,  and unique partnership that demonstrates how a collaborative effort can create a new model for resource sharing. It is a model that emphasizes access over ownership, and it is working successfully to expand this access in new and creative ways.

If you are just returning to Western from summer break, one thing you may not yet know is that on June 18, 2013, Western Libraries began the process of replacing our previous catalog and database interfaces with a new integrated discovery layer known as “OneSearch.” Western Washington University, along with the University of Washington and several other institutions, was in the first group of Orbis Cascade Alliance members to launch the new system. Additional member institutions will also make the transition during the next 16 months.

Western Libraries are proud to be on the cutting edge of this transition, recognizing the tremendous opportunity we have to impact the development of what will become a very powerful search tool. This migration of course involves significant changes and will include some bumps along the way.  But we here at Western Libraries are very excited about the improved experience OneSearch will ultimately provide. And we encourage you, the campus community, to share your feedback about the new system with us so you can help us make it better. 

Also, we want to remind everyone that we are here to help people get to know the new system, so if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us. There are a number of helpful resources online, and you can also schedule a personalized instruction session at the Research Services desk, (like Hans himself did with Gabe just a few weeks ago). Likewise, dates for drop-in training sessions will be announced soon, and you can also "chat" with a librarian online from the comfort of your own home or office.