When the Bryan Library acquired its first computer in 1981, the concept of automating
the card catalog, the circulation services, and cataloging was a staggering thought. Technology to
automate libraries was very expensive and still evolving at that time. The questions we had were
common to many libraries our size in Texas. Where would the money come from? Who had enough
technology training to get us there? Could we do it by ourselves? How long would it take? In a few
years we were at the right time to begin retrospective conversion of the library card catalog. Using
a work station of a personal computer enhanced with six CD ROM drives donated by the Friends of the
Library, the Central Texas Library System automation consultant trained the Bryan librarians to use a
bibliographic conversion program to create a union catalog with 59 other libraries. Searching was
accomplished by using six Library of Congress disks containing millions of titles. The results
provided downloadable descriptions of more than 50% of our holdings. A library vendor could extract
our bibliographic records from this union catalog. That feature, plus the access to a union catalog,
launched the library on the highway to automation.
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Before Automation, a Heavy Workload Caused Books to be Stacked on the floor |
Librarians began the transition to this new technology with enthusiasm. They were trained to create
MARC records, a national standard for bibliographic records. The database creation underway, the City
Librarian began visiting automated libraries -- Waco, San Marcos, Austin, Round Rock, Georgetown, and
Hillsboro.
Interest centered on a system developed by librarians in Provo, Utah, called Dynix.
The library literature gave it the highest evaluation of automation for public libraries. Four of
the libraries we visited were automated with Dynix. Several staff members visited these libraries
and tried out the online terminals and talked with the staff about what they liked and disliked.
Finally in 1995 the needed amount of money from both cities was pledged and a 70 page RFP was
issued.
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Then remember what happened?
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An arsonist set fire to the Bryan Library in the early morning hours of March 28, 1995
and our technology transition came to a stand still. The Dynix RFP was accepted but postponed.
During the five-month reconstruction of the library building, we moved our database operations to a
warehouse where we also cleaned and stored books and other items. During the reconstruction, the
staff spread out, some working at the branch library, some located in the city's municipal building,
and others in the warehouse. After what seemed a very long time, the Bryan library reopened in
September of 1995 and implementing the automation system became the priority. Equipment was ordered
and installed in July 1996 with the card catalog and cataloging going online first. Barcoding, an
intensive project, took several months. Circulation went online in May of 1997. We preregistered
5,000 patrons before summer started.
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Gates Computer Lab Opens
January 2001
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What a difference automation makes in our services! We offer patrons access to
materials with improved searching tools. The library has its own website where you can place a hold
on a circulating item and have it sent to the library of choice. You can renew materials on the
website. If a patron doesn't have the Internet at home there is a dial up number to "talk" with the
library card catalog. Patrons can return materials to either library. Patrons can renew books by
telephone. An electronic system notifies a patron by telephone of books placed on hold or materials
overdue by a few days. The system automatically generates notices to mail to patrons.
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Librarians are called upon to do many things -- kissing a donkey
was the prize for the largest amount collected by United Way. Clara won by
a large amount.
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Clara Mounce and Jeri
Williams prove librarians can adapt
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This improved service for users is done with little or no effort by clerks who
formerly spent hours typing overdue notices, making telephone calls, carding returned materials, and
manually checking out books. With automation, library services overall have improved by leaps and
bounds. The Library System upgraded its automated system in March of 2005. Funds for this migration
were donated by the Doak Estate. The Dynix System has now migrated to the Horizon System, Version
7.3.4.
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TIF Grant
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A 1998-99 grant from the Telecommunications Infrastructure Fund of $99,580 provided
the library system with the equipment and software to put its database on the Web. It is also paying
for public access computers with Internet at the Bryan and Carnegie libraries and two additional PCs
for College Station.
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Gates Foundation Grant
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The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation contributed almost $100,000 to establish a computer lab in 2001
of 11 computers in the Bryan Library. The grant paid for adding four additional computers at College
Station, the Carnegie and the Bryan Library. Each site has a Spanish language computer. Practically
all the Microsoft software that exists is installed in these computers. The Gates Foundation helped
install the systems and trained staff members for a full week. Classes for beginners, intermediate
and advanced are available at the Bryan Library Lab. The Gates Foundation donated funds to replace
the computers in the lab at the Bryan Library and purchase 5 new computers each for the 3 libraries.
There are 50 public access computers in the 3 libraries, 25 of which are in the Bryan Public Library.
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In addition to the automated system there are self-check out units at both the Bryan and College
Station libraries. Patrons use this equipment to check out books and periodicals by themselves with a
minimum of explanation. It provides backup to a clerk and frees another clerk to shelve books and
straighten the book stacks. It doesn't take a vacation, and barring a computer glitch, it doesn't get
sick for an extended period of time. It comes fully trained! It also provides privacy to a patron.
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Bryan + College Station History
Library Restorations
Clara's Roast
Services Provided by the Library System
Back to Library History
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