Joining us were two representatives from Civica (the company behind Spydus). Civica General Manager Phil Barr and Support Analyst Simone Delahunt traveled up from Melbourne for the day to ensure a smooth transition and to help us out on our first 'live' day.

It proved to be a very busy morning with many patrons seemingly just as eager to get a look at the new OPACs (Online Public Access Catalogues), and to experiment with the new features on offer, including being able to renew and reserve their own items. Patrons were also keen to experience the new E-Mac computers which have replaced our old 'antique' VT 420s and 510s. The E-Macs, from which patrons access our catalogue while in the Library, look great and are very easy to use.

As alluded to above, the new Spydus system allows patrons great flexibility in their use of the Library. Many new features, not available on our previous system, are now an integral part of Spydus. These same features are also available from our online catalogue, allowing patrons to manage their own library accounts via the OPACs in the Library or via their Internet connection from home (or elsewhere for that matter). Don't forget, you will need to see Library staff to organize a PIN to enable you to take advantage of these online features.

In terms of item reservations, Spydus now allows patrons to reserve their own items, to delete reserves they no longer want, and to see their position in the reserve queue.

At five minutes past ten on Wednesday our first reserved item was picked up by a patron. At first read this may not sound very newsworthy. However, Spydus now allows us to email 'Reserve' notices to patrons who have supplied us with an email address. This particular patron had received their email notice during the previous night when our new Spydus system was implemented. The quick response was both a surprise and delight to staff as it confirmed that the system was working well and that the speed of the Internet is of great benefit to many patrons.

Patrons are also able to see a list of the items they currently have on loan, and to renew those items, providing of course that they have not exceeded their reserves quota, and that the item is not on reserve for another borrower.

Other features include the ability to change your PIN online, and the ability to create profiles, so that Spydus can email an alert when the Library receives a new item or items matching your profile.

These are among the many new features of the Spydus catalogue that will ensure greater convenience and flexibility for Library members. Why not take advantage of these features? If you are unsure how to begin come in and ask us. We will be happy to show you the benefits of the Spydus system.