Melvyl debuted in 1981, before most of our current students (and some of our faculty!) were born. Melvyl revolutionized the UC library system, allowing researchers to find books at other UC campuses through computer terminals on their own campuses.
Behind the scenes, however, Melvyl relied on a complex patchwork system that connected multiple catalogs and databases in order to coordinate interlibrary loans and full-text access. As several of these systems approached the end of their life spans, the UC Libraries recognized the technical unsustainability and inherent risks associated with keeping the Melvyl system. Consequently, about four years ago, the project of making UC Library Search a reality commenced.
UC Library Search will vastly improve the user experience of faculty, students, and researchers worldwide who need to access collections across the University of California system. Rather than using Melvyl, which linked separate catalogs from different institutions, all of the University of California libraries will now be part of one unified discovery tool.
Here's a preview of the new logo for UC Library Search:
