Information Today
                 Volume 17, Number 1 • January 2000		 Winnebago Software Co. Releases Spectrum Union Catalog, Winnebago Web Resource Library

Winnebago Software Co., a developer of library automation software and Internet solutions, has announced the release of Spectrum Union Catalog, a client/server program that provides access to the complete holdings of a district or library consortium/alliance through a unified database. Spectrum Union Catalog allows access to a wider selection of materials through interlibrary loan (ILL), thereby expanding the materials budget of individual libraries. Winnebago has also announced the release of the Winnebago Web Resource Library, a subscription service that provides an up-to-date cataloged database of educational Web sites.
 

Spectrum Union Catalog
With Spectrum Union Catalog, patrons can search the material records of one library or many libraries simultaneously, regardless of the automation system each library uses. For example, one or several libraries may use Winnebago Spectrum while others may use a different automation program.

According to the company, Spectrum Union Catalog incorporates the breakthrough technology of the Winnebago Transaction Agent, which continuously updates the status of materials for sites using Winnebago Spectrum CIRC/CAT. For example, staff and patrons can immediately see whether material is currently checked out, on the shelf, or available through ILL.

Spectrum Union Catalog allows districts or library consortia the option of performing central or site-based data management. The program offers the flexibility of performing all material cataloging, database management, and reporting from a central site—or through Data Management Clients located at individual sites. Spectrum Union Catalog can enhance material data uniformity and precision of the MARC record cataloging through the centralized database while allowing librarians to add, edit, delete, and print records for their sites, thus enabling them to maintain control over their individual library’s union database holdings. Reports can be generated based on the entire Union Catalog holdings or for a specific library.

In addition to accessing Spectrum Union Catalog from any of the participating libraries, the Union Catalog can be accessed from locations outside the libraries, such as classrooms, via the Internet, or via a WAN. Included with Spectrum Union Catalog is Union IPAC, Winnebago’s Internet Public Access Catalog. Union IPAC enables remote access to the Union Catalog from homes or offices via the Internet and a Web browser.

With Spectrum Union IPAC and a Web browser, the libraries can be accessed 24 hours a day. Union IPAC enables library staff from any library in the district to request interlibrary loans. The loan request is generated on a simple e-mail form with the participating libraries. The program automatically completes the loan request form with the selected material’s information.

Spectrum Union Catalog requires a Windows NT 4.0 Web server with IIS (Internet Information Server). In addition, a district or consortium may choose to use Novell 4.x, Novell 5.x, Windows 95/98, or Windows NT for a database server.
 

Web Resource Library
Web Resource Library provides access to Web sites through the Winnebago Spectrum online catalog. The sites cover curriculum areas including science, math, language arts, social studies, geography, and the arts. Each Web site’s record contains the URL, multiple subject entries, title, author (if available), a complete notes field, curriculum topics, and age-level information. The Web Resource Library will initially contain more than 1,500 Web sites. Quarterly updates will include more than 1,000 new educational sites and ensure that the previously cataloged sites are still active and relevant to curriculum.

The Web sites are evaluated and cataloged by Elizabeth Miller, author of Internet Resource Directory for K-12 Teachers and Librarians. Miller is an instructor at the College of Library and Information Science at the University of South Carolina–Columbia. She holds a master’s degree and a specialist’s degree in library and information science and serves on two American Library Association (ALA) committees.

The Winnebago Web Resource Library requires Winnebago Spectrum version 4.x. The annual subscription price is $395, which includes quarterly updates. For more information about the Winnebago Web Resource Library and a free sample CD of 100 Web sites, call 800/533-5430, ext. 2130.

Source: Winnebago Software Co., Caledonia, MN, 608/779-4577; Fax: 608/781-7706; http://www.winnebago.com.

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