Have You Used Your PINES Online Catalog Lately?

I read an interesting article this morning and was impressed as a library employee. Sometimes we sit in this lovely building and never know what the public thinks of our services. We've had surveys in the past, but this PINES survey was statewide and very
interesting.
What is PINES? The Public Information Network for Electronic Services - or PINES, for short - is a statewide consortium of more than 280 public libraries and affiliated service outlets in nearly 140 counties of Georgia. It offers citizens a shared catalog of approximately 10 million items, with a single library card that is welcomed in all member libraries.
The 2009 PINES User Satisfaction Survey drew more than 2,000 participants, who completed the survey from a library workstation or from a home or office computer between April 19th and 25th. The results showed a higher degree of satisfaction than the already impressive figures from years past.
The Survey showed that more than four out of five (82.9 percent) used the catalog at least weekly to renew books online, place holds on books, determine fines or see what items they have checked
out.
An average of 92 percent of respondents agreed or strongly agreed with these statements:

• It's easy to use the PINES online catalog.
• I typically find what I'm looking for using the PINES online catalog.
• It's easy to determine if my library owns a particular item.
• If my local library does not have an item I need, it's easy to find and obtain the item through the PINES system.
• It's easy to renew my mateials through the PINES online catalog.
• I'm satisfied with the PINES statewide library card system.

Users also indicated a strong desire to see full statewide access to materials; enhanced access to GALILEO databases, including meta-searches across PINES and GALILEO; and statewide access to electronic and audiovisual materials.

Julie Walker, deputy state librarian, said, "It's truly gratifying to see that Georgia's library users appreciate the benefits and conveniences offered by PINES and that, even in the light of the current economic uncertainties, they want to see the system expand to more areas of the state and offer more services."

If you don't know about the PINES system, information is available in the center of our home Web page. Just click on the PINES symbol for information and entrance to the system. It will open a whole new world to you.

(Source: Georgia Public Library Service News, June 2009)