New library catalog makes ‘Library of Things’ searchable

Where can you rent a circular saw, a pickleball set and an American Girl doll, all in the same place? With the advent of a new catalog system, Allegheny County Library Association members can view the availability of books, electronic media and an expansive Library of Things composed of everything from children’s toys to outdoor tools. 

While the Library of Things isn’t new to the ACLA — a system encompassing the 70 Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh locations and 45 public libraries — the enhanced catalog makes it much more accessible and organized. 

Before, people looking to borrow a sewing machine or video game console would have to go to their local library and see if it happened to be available. If not, they’d have to keep blindly trying other locations or give up entirely. 

Now, as ACLA CEO Amy Anderson explains, any member of a library that is part of the ACLA can view the availability of these objects at locations near and far, and place a hold on them. In some cases, the ACLA may be able to transport the items to their home library, or members may need to pick the items up from wherever they are “on the shelf.”

In addition to centralizing the Library of Things, the new catalog system — which was created by the software company BiblioCommons — is more intuitive and offers more flexibility, according to Anderson.

“Our old catalog was good as well,” she said. “But this new one [is] able to centralize all of these things and have a much more engaging and visually appealing presence. Quite frankly, the items are just easier to find when you do the searches.”

Electronic resources are one of the areas these improvements shine. Rather than navigating through external resources such as OverDrive and Libby, catalog users can search for and access e-books, audiobooks and streaming services directly from the catalog, Anderson said.  

The ACLA’s Experience Kits are also newly searchable. The kits contain membership passes and brochures for local museums such as the Mattress Factory on the North Side and the Railroaders Memorial Museum in Altoona — so library members can explore regional history and culture for free. In a similar vein, the ACLA grants access to the RAD Pass, a ticket-sharing system for attractions such as theaters, art museums and even Pittsburgh Pirates games. 

Anderson emphasized that several policies vary library by library — for example, many don’t charge fines for overdue materials and have automatic renewals for books and other objects alike. Consequences for missing and damaged items similarly depend on the location. She encourages anyone curious about the process of borrowing to ask a staff member, just to make sure everyone is on the same page.

Anderson added that the new ability to leave comments and see reader activity enhances the library experience.

“You’re able to engage more with the materials and each other to find out what books people are reading, what materials are really hitting with our community, so just an all-around better browsing experience.”