The University of Arizona Library has chosen Innovative Interfaces' INNOPAC as its next generation library automation system. Carla Stoffle, Dean of Libraries, cited several reasons for the selection of INNOPAC. "At the University of Arizona Library, our goal was to select a vendor that is forward-looking, attuned to the intelligent application of new technologies, and whose system would serve a diverse undergraduate student body as well as a sophisticated, research-oriented faculty. With Innovative Interfaces, we feel we made the right choice." She added that, "Besides functionality, we wanted to find a vendor that shared our vision of a working partnership, and was willing to move beyond what is currently available by sharing ideas and developing new applications to meet the challenges of an ever changing technical arena."

The INNOPAC system, which expands and replaces the library's existing GEAC system, will be known as SABIO ("Wise One" in Spanish) and will have a database of two million bibliographic records, more than four million volumes and over 300 users. The system will have at least five commercial reference databases running under the INNOPAC software, including Expanded Academic Index, PsycINFO, Current Contents, INSPEC, and ERIC. There will also be five local reference databases, including one with background material and current references on Buckminsterfullerenes (a.k.a. "Buckyballs"), which the University will make accessible through the Internet because of its international importance to the world scientific community.

According to Stuart Glogoff, the Assistant University Librarian for Systems, the "Library staff went through a lengthy planning and procurement process before selecting INNOPAC. They wanted to find not only the best system for automating in-house functions, but a system that would provide the connectivity to remote systems and the ability to manage both locally developed and commercial databases. INNOPAC was their first choice all around."

"The University of Arizona Library is taking full advantage of the latest developments on INNOPAC," said Jerry Kline, President and CEO of Innovative Interfaces. "It will be the first library to install Innovative's new Z39.50 interface to other systems, and it has also opted to add many of the system's other new features, including Chinese, Japanese and Korean (CJK) character support, Spanish language menus, the Materials Booking Module, and an exceptionally large number of commercial and local reference databases, all of which will provide a tremendous range of information services to its broad-based user population. We look forward to a long and productive working relationship with the University of Arizona in meeting its information needs in the coming years.

Innovative Interfaces is one of the leading suppliers of automated systems for university, college, public and special libraries. Its fully integrated INNOPAC system includes modules for acquisitions, I serials, cataloging, the public catalog, circulation, reserves, management information and reference databases. The INNOPAC system is in use in more than 300 major libraries throughout the world, and each year approximately 50 additional libraries choose INNOPAC as the system for their library.