In case you haven’t noticed, CLIO has recently unrolled a beta version of their new library catalog system. The new version features a relatively sleeker interface, a streamlined menu system, and basically just doesn’t scream “1995” anymore.

The previously mysteriously-labeled “Guided Keyword” tab has now been replaced with a slightly more comprehensible “Advanced” tab, offering new query fields such as Date, Library Location, and Medium. Although these new search constraints are a welcome addition, perhaps CLIO thought this new “Advanced” tab was just a little too straightforward and decided the interface still needed to confuse people, so they included two separate “Search” buttons on the page.

To CLIO’s credit, the search results page has improved drastically. Gone are the days of superfluous and confusing checkerboard results. Instead, results are displayed in a neat, organized fashion, complete with little icons that indicate the medium of the result.

Yes, there could still be room for improvement, and in classic “beta”-version fashion, CLIO openly asks for comments and suggestions. And of course, if you are feeling nostalgic, you can always still use the old one, for now.