Catalogue: roadmap

The new catalogue includes a range of improvements and new features that make searching the Library’s collection easier. Even though the catalogue is now live, we will continue to work on new features and will regularly release changes over the coming months.   

What features are already available?

  • Over 4 million searchable catalogue records
  • More than 5 million digital files accessible to the public
  • 'MyCatalogue' functionality with library card log in, item requesting and saved searches and lists
  • Access to subscription databases
  • New Digital Collections interface
  • Custom built book viewer with full-text search 
  • Custom built audio player including transcripts search
  • Improved image viewer based on your feedback
  • Digital file downloads and social sharing
  • Record export functionality
  • New permalink structure for easy bookmarking and citation
  • PDF and ePUB download options
  • Custom PDF viewer
  • Improvements to collection data display
  • Introduction of search pre-filters

What features are still to be released?

Next major release
  • Ongoing data improvements and file ingestion
  • Ongoing improvements to search functionality and data indexing
  • Improvements to pre-filter searching
  • Additional personalisation features, such as the ability to mark favourite records and save lists
Future releases
  • Ability to update personal information and password management
  • Improvements to functionality of search filters
  • Improved printing and exporting functionality
  • Citation information
  • Integration with the Library’s online shop including ordering prints  
  • MyCatalogue feature for Digital Collections which includes saved searches and lists
  • Map viewer with geolocational functionality
  • Improvements to copyright information 
  • Ingestion of more audio collections and time-coded transcript files
  • Embedded metadata in downloaded files
  • Storage and display of non-preservation files
  • 'Sensitive', 'mature' and 'restricted' content warnings for digital collections
  • Data archive viewer 
  • 3D object viewer 
  • Multilingual functionality 
  • Improved access to machine-generated keyword tags
  • Community generated tags on digital collections for images and files
  • Curated 'theme' pages to browse digital collections
  • Related and recommended items
  • Access to new Library API
  • Serial viewer for magazines and newspapers
  • Manuscript index
  • Subject browser
  • Journal title browser
  • Improved hierarchy browser, including search and export

Known issues

  • Data ingestion and migration not yet complete, meaning some files and records are still missing
  • Search results, relevancy, filters and facets require further refinement
  • Saved searches and records not migrated to new catalogue
  • Issue with some journals and articles not being properly linked in new catalogue. These can still be accessed from the old catalogue
  • Issue with display of language filters in search results where abbreviations are not working properly. If looking for language material, use only the filters written in full, i.e. 'English' and not any abbreviated options, i.e. 'Eng'.
  • Incorrect holdings status are displaying for some large print and talking books.