BJU’s Mack Library is now using a new catalog system that allows students to search for material on every available resource at the same time.

The library’s new catalog system is called INDY, short for Information Discovery. Students can use INDY to search for resources in Mack Library as well as over 50 library members of PASCAL—a partnership of South Carolina academic libraries. In addition, INDY provides access to journal articles from any database that the library subscribes to. “It combines all of the available resources into one search,” said Bryan Tyson, Mack Library’s technical services coordinator.

Students can request any resource outside of Mack Library through PASCAL Delivers. If unable to locate a resource through PASCAL, students can request an interlibrary loan that may extend to a number of libraries, including some located in museums and on military bases.

BJU has had some unique experiences through this system. “Probably the most exotic [interlibrary request] we [have had] in the recent past was from the National Library of Czechoslovakia,” Tyson said. This library requested a book on art forgery that Mack Library was able to provide them on loan.

Mack Library has also implemented a new hold system. Now, rather than having to physically retrieve a book off the shelf, students may make a request online and pick up the book when available. “It’s another service we can offer to help students have a more convenient research experience,” Tyson said.

Tyson encourages students to visit the library for assistance in searching for resources on various topics or even just to find a quiet place to study.

Many books are on reserve as research resources for projects in specific classes and can be checked out for two hours. Professors can also place copies of their own books on reserve for their students, often upperclassmen. These books are called “personal reserves” and can only be used in the library building while checked out for the two-hour time frame.

To gain access to the Mack Library’s online resources and its new catalog system, students can visit library.bju.edu.