The Brock University Library is among more than a dozen Ontario universities launching a new academic search tool, beginning Dec. 10.

Introduced Wednesday, Oct. 30 as Omni, the new library system is an outcome of the Ontario Council of University Libraries (OCUL)’s Collaborative Futures initiative. Omni replaces a number of legacy library systems, improves the searching and discovery experience, and will create seamless access across 14 Ontario university library collections.  

“The name Omni means everything,” said Nicole Nolan, who is Brock’s implementation lead. “It is a fitting name for our new search tool because it expresses the breadth of resources that users will have access to. Omni will transform how faculty, researchers, students and community members will search, discover and access resources.”

Omni will provide a streamlined, intuitive and mobile-friendly experience, as well as access to a vast collection of scholarly resources, including journal articles, databases, videos, music and a shared collection of print books. 

“Libraries in Ontario universities are seeking ways to improve their support for faculty and students,” said Mark Robertson, who chaired the OCUL branding working group. “This initiative draws its strength from the collective talent from across Ontario’s academic libraries. The Brock community will have unprecedented access to scholarly materials through Omni and will benefit from a modernized library platform. Because Omni is directly connected to Ontario university libraries, users can trust that the research material they’re accessing is high-quality, authoritative and appropriate for use in academic endeavours.” 

Adoption of a new platform to manage all library services and resources is a significant project that only happens every 20 to 25 years.  

“As with any transition of this scale, we anticipate there will be a few bumps and we will be ready to manage and resolve issues as they are identified,” said Nolan. 

On Dec. 10, Omni will replace the Brock Library’s current SuperSearch and catalogue systems, with additional features expected in 2020. Updates will be posted on the Brock Library website. 

Questions about the project can be directed to Nolan at nnolan@brocku.ca 

For more information about Omni, visit OCUL’s website.