HAVE YOU TRIED THE NEW "GALILEO"?

     Those of us who work at Georgia public libraries are fortunate to receive copies of Georgia Public Library Service (GPLS) NEWS, a newsletter about great happenings in libraries around Georgia.
     Just the other day we received our December issue and it has an important article about how the new GALILEO interface streamlines content searches.  For that reason, I need to tell you some of what the article said (and I quote):
     "GALILEO users are discovering an easier, more streamlined way to search and retrieve content from the 100-plus information databases, digital collections and other resources offered to them by Georgia's Virtual Library.
     "Introduced in October, the new Discover GALILEO interface simplifies the search process...by searching almost all GALILEO resources at once.  Results can be sorted by relevance or date, and customers can easily refine searches by format, source, collection and more.
     "'Discover GALILEO uses a different approach, combining resource indexes into one master index,' explained Merryll Penson, executive director of Library Services for the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia.  'This makes for a faster, more customizable list of results,' she said.
     "Possibly the most notable advantage of simultaneously searching resources is that users often get results from places that they might not have thought about.
     "...Alan Harkness, assistant state librarian for Library Development, noted that the Discover GALILEO interface should get even better over time, as GALILEO staff tweak the tool's effectiveness.  'Anyone who has ever been frustrated with a GALILEO search in the past needs to give it another try now,' he said.  'The difference is really amazing.'
     "Users should note that a few popular GALILEO resources cannot logically be included as part of the new Discovery search.  These include genealogy resources such as Heritage Quest or Ancestry Plus, which is not available outside of the library; and the online testing preparation resources that are included in Learning Express Library and RB Test Prep.  These must still be launched separately within GALILEO or through Express Links from another web page.
      "Harkness said, 'In the near future, we hope to add public library catalog results to Discover GALILEO, so that customers would literally have to look only in one place for all their information needs.'
     "GALILEO is available in every public library in Georgia and can be accessed from home at www.galileo.usg.edu by using a library-issued password or PINES card number."
     So, now you know!  We're constantly on the move to make your library experience a great experience!  Try the new Discover GALILEO today and have lots of fun.
(Source: Georgia Public Library Service NEWS, December 2012 issue)