Arab Unified Catalog is a digital platform for a cooperative project among Arab libraries aimed at creating a comprehensive database of bibliographic records for books and other materials held in libraries across the Arab world. The AUC is intended to facilitate resource sharing and cooperative cataloging among participating libraries, as well as to enhance access to information resources for researchers, students, and the general public. The platform provides access to the AUC and other digital resources, including full-text books and journals, audiovisual materials, and manuscripts. It also offers search and discovery tools that enable users to locate and access resources held in participating libraries.
The project aimed to develop a unified library catalog using Drupal, focusing on several key areas:
Optimized Bibliographic Record Creation: Establish a standardized process for creating and managing bibliographic records, including defining metadata standards and quality control measures.
Unified Catalog Integration: Seamlessly integrate the catalog into Drupal, providing a user-friendly interface for browsing, searching, and accessing library resources.
Enhanced Search and Discovery Experience: Implement advanced search functionalities, including faceted search, relevancy ranking, and autocomplete, to improve the user search experience.
Interoperability and Data Exchange: Ensure smooth data exchange between library systems by adopting industry standards like MARC and implementing APIs.
Collaborative Metadata Enhancement: Develop workflows for librarians to collaboratively edit and enrich metadata, improving the quality and comprehensiveness of bibliographic records.
Community Engagement and Feedback: Build a community around the catalog on Drupal.org to gather feedback, share knowledge, and discuss feature enhancements.
MARCEditor for Streamlined Cataloging: Developed the MARCEditor interface within Drupal to simplify cataloging tasks, enhancing efficiency and accuracy in managing bibliographic records.
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