HSLS Update

PITTCat for the Health Sciences - a new version of PITTCat designed for you

The PITTCat online library catalog includes information about the nearly five million books, journals and other items owned by all University of Pittsburgh libraries, whether part of the Health Sciences Library System (HSLS), the University Library System (ULS), or the Law Library. The catalog also includes important links to related library services and resources.

HSLS librarians have designed a customized search interface to PITTCat called PITTCat for the Health Sciences to improve the searching experience for health sciences faculty, staff, and students. PITTCat for the Health Sciences still includes materials in all University of Pittsburgh libraries - only the design and the links to services and resources have changed.

How is HSLS different from other campus libraries? At the University of Pittsburgh, as at many research universities, the health sciences and law libraries are administratively separate from the main library system because of the specialized nature of these fields. While the ULS is designed to support the library needs of the general University of Pittsburgh community, HSLS is the primary service provider within the six schools of the health sciences (Dental Medicine, Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, and Public Health), and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC).

Why a separate version of PITTCat for HSLS users? To more efficiently link HSLS users to library services available specifically for them, and also offer improved search functionality for HSLS collections. While the general version of PITTCat includes links to ULS services and resources, many are not available to those affiliated with UPMC or schools of the health sciences. PITTCat for the Health Sciences, however, includes links to the appropriate HSLS services designed for these users. For example, if you want to request document delivery services, PITTCat for the Health Sciences will direct you to the request form on the HSLS Web site and the request will be processed by HSLS staff.

In addition, the new interface improves search functionality for HSLS users in several ways:

• Search limits are customized for HSLS collections.
• Many HSLS book records include tables of contents. These now display by default, rather than requiring the user to go to the “Long Record.”
• Links to e-journals are more prominent.
• Online help text and search examples are written for a health sciences audience.

You can log on to PITTCat for the Health Sciences at <http://pittcat.hsls.pitt.edu> or connect from the HSLS home page <www.hsls.pitt.edu>. Please use the form available on the search page to give us your feedback on this new version of PITTCat.

-- Ammon Ripple, Phil Bergen, Gosia Fort, Jill Foust, and Deb Silverman