The Aurora Public Library (I’m on the board) has added some new features to the OPAC.
- Patron Ratings – Patrons who log in to their library account will now have the ability to give items a rating (on a 5-star scale), and these ratings will appear next to the item in the catalog. Comments cannot be added, just a 1- to 5-star rating. Patrons who are not logged in to their library account will be able to see ratings for an item, but will not be able to add their own rating until they log in.
- Library holdings – Search results will now include an abbreviated holdings table for each item. Essentially, the system will display the first three items in a table very much like the one displayed for individual records. If the library has more than 3 copies, a message will appear underneath the table that reads, “There are additional copies/volumes of this item.” The user can click on the “Show Full Record” button to see all copies. The real benefit comes when the library has 3 or fewer copies; the location, call number and status of each copy are displayed without having to view the full record.
- Changing pickup location – It is now possible for patrons to change the pickup location from their online library account for items on hold.
Unless the item is Ready for Pickup, a drop-down menu will allow patrons to change the pickup location.
