Coleg Menai becomes the latest library to join TalNet, a library consortium whereby users share their library catalogues, enabling wider access to resources for its visitors. Having recently switched to Talis from a Heritage system, the TalNet consortium was the next logical move for Coleg Menai- to increase efficiencies and customer satisfaction across the library.
As one of the largest FE Colleges in North Wales, Coleg Menai serves over 10,000 students. Coleg Menai are one of the first further education colleges in Wales to provide a bilingual online catalogue. As a result of the college joining TalNet, users can simultaneously search the library catalogues of Coleg Menai, Coleg Llandrillo, Anglesey, Conwy and Gwynedd Libraries.
Established in 1996, TalNet acts as a joint procurement and acquisition unit, although selection remains the responsibility of the authorities, and an inter-library loans service. In 2004, the TalNet co-operative agreed to extend their services to host the library management systems for two FE libraries as part of "LINC y Gogledd" (Libraries IN Co-operation). Coleg Menai provides education and training opportunities at its sites on Anglesey and in Gwynedd, and attracts some 10,000 learners to its programmes. Those learners now have access to an integrated library and learning resource service.
Aled Rees, Learning Resources Manager at Coleg Menai commented "TalNET membership for us means that we can better contribute as a full member of the LINC scheme. It will substantially open up access to locally-based resources for the wider community, derive benefits from closer co-operation with partners in other sectors, and raise the profile of library and information services in the region."
Talis Alto is the UK’s market leading library management system, designed to support all aspects of a modern library service. Used extensively by over 110 public and academic libraries, the Talis LMS helps libraries stock over 58 million books, issue 118 million items and acquire £65 million worth of new books every year.
