The University of Colorado Libraries聮 new web-based catalog, Webcat, has made CU-Boulder a leader in providing access to its print, multi-media and CD-ROM resources.
聯No other library has put its entire catalog on the World Wide Web for everyone to access,聰 said Lori Arp, head of the reference department at Norlin Library.
With 1.7 million records, the catalog provides information about the University of Colorado Libraries聮 12 million print, media and CD-ROM resources. Media resources include audio-video materials, microfiche and microfilm.
聯Webcat is far more than a web-based version of the libraries聮 online catalog, Chinook,聰 Arp said.
The CU-Libraries聮 web site is the first in the country to seamlessly link its home pages to a library catalog, and to provide access to external web sites, such as organizational home pages, and electronic journals through online links. By doing so, the libraries are providing one of the largest pools of resources -- for use from the office, dormitory or classroom -- available from any library in the country.
As more links are cataloged, users will be able to search by author, title, subject or keyword to identify important sites and then just click to the link from the catalog.
Although some of the information is restricted by subscription to on-campus users, the majority is available to all users.
The libraries聮 home pages themselves also have more than 600 pages of information, including 200 pages about U.S. international, foreign and state governments in the award-winning Government Publications Library.
And distant users can electronically transmit interlibrary loan requests to have materials sent to their closest library.
To use Webcat, visit the libraries聮 home page at and click on 聯services聰 and then on Chinook.