Summon @ Huddersfield and Northumbria

Huddersfield and Northumbria are working on a JISC project to do with their implementations of Summon. Yesterday they held a workshop to share their experiences so far - some notes are available here. Interested to see that both institutions seem to be replacing their federated search with Summon - I'd thought you'd still need both.

NOWAL - Cross Search Event

On Friday 14th May - Exlibris, Serial Solutions and Ebsco attended the NOWAL - Cross Search Event. The suppliers were urged to concentrate on what marks their own product as being different from, and better than, the competition.

All suppliers started their presentations with a short overview of the company and then went on to describe current students expectations with regards to learning and research. Generally they want 'Google like' single, quick and easy search interface, with some expectation of enhanced functionality. Below is some of the functionality that the suppliers highlighted.

Exlibris presented first with Primo Central. They focused on how they meet these user expectations with Primo Central by providing

• a single search box that searched all and then consolidated the results
• display order choice
• narrow down easily
• Suggested new searches
• Collaboration tools
• Manage findings on system or via bookmarking tools
  
• BX recommender tool
• Easy integration of Primo Central into other library systems

Addressing some of the libraries issues they also explained:-

• The federated searching element of Primo Central. The same search is carried out in the federated search but the results are not merged with the pre-harvested, although this is being considered.
• Approx 80% of HE material is available via the pre-harvested interface
  
• Primo interface is highly configurable and thus suited to consortia arrangements with different institutions wanting different designs and functionality
• FRBR to merge and deduplicate
• Weighting utility that ensure important material for a particular institution is displayed first
• Can by hosted in house or by Exlibris
• Deals with different langauage scripts
• Admin interface uses wizards to work through configuration and interface setup
• Real time updates from LMS on availability
  

Serials Solutions presented Summon. Focus on how to meet users expectations:-

• Provide a single search interface to everything
• 80% of queries, results in 1 second or less
  
• 6,200 publishers with 570,000,000 items
• Real time call to LMS for location and availability
• syndetics, book covers, abstracts etc
• Narrow down search and ranking
  
• Session based save as well as login save
• Login not required

Addressed library issues:-

• Use Summon for reading lists
• Merge records from different suppliers to provide the best record
• Offered as SAAS
• Client centre available for data administration but no admin interface for configuration or customization at the moment

Final presentation by EBSCO - Discovery Service

User expectations meet:-

• Single Search interface
• Facets to narrow search
• Ranking available
  
• Integrates with LMS and provides book jackets and real time availability data
• Integrates with Link Resolvers from different suppliers but more functionality if you use their own
• Deduplicate and consolidate search results
• Session folder and logged in folder to save results, export and print
• From June 2010 guest access allowed
  

Meet Library expectations:-

• All EBSCO hosted resources and others via pre-harvested
• Non EBSCO hosted resources available as an intergrated federated search (if using EBSCO's federated search tool)
• Can decide which federated search databases are show automatically in pre harvested results based on response times.
• From 2011 much cleaner screen layout
• Can embed search box in web pages
• No deeper integration with LMS at this point only real time availability of items

A very interesting day, providing a good overview of the three products, their similarities and differences.

Anna Langley

Versions of systems

I keep losing track of which version of which system we are on so:

Talis Alto 5.0

Metalib 4.3.2 (Service Packs outstanding - 4.3.3 and 4.3.4 - due to be run in June)
Metalib 4.3.4 (SP run June 2010)


SFX 3

Eprints 3.1

Primo Central Video

Nice little video about Primo Central (although someone's been watching too many Commoncraft videos!)

EPUG-UKI Meeting 16th March

Day started with the AGM which included dates for future meetings:

- EPUG-UKI conference - 1-2 Nov - based on previous SFX/ Metalib day school but will include all products
- EPUG-UKI meetings: 28 or 29 March 2011 and October 2011

Ex Libris update
Mainly updating on new customers e.g. Coventry Uni - Primo; Oxford Uni - Aleph; Sheffield Uni - Verde; Plymouth Uni, Nottingham Uni, Liverpool Uni, Swansea Uni, Cambridge Uni - bX.

Metalib/ SFX strand
- Problems with Full Text / Peer Review Indicator in Metalib - Ex Libris can't provide list of which databases it works with / doesn't work with.
- Knowledgebase working group - working to get NESLI etc to include condition of updating OpenURL providers in licences. Also working on updating existing NESLI targets e.g. Science Direct NESLI target to be added. Will be emailing info about progress and also looking for help with starting on smaller publishers.

- Ex Libris update
SFX 4 - release July 2010. Upgrade docs currently being prepared
Primo Central - Beta testing from end of March, available Q3 2010. Vanderbilt Uni have gone live with it. EL can't publish list of publishers whose content is included but Account Manager should be able to provide details. They will also be able to do a match on your holdings.

URM
Started with general presentation on URM from EL:
- will manage all types of materials & workflows
- customisable using e.g. Open Platform, X-server
- SaaS
- integrate with other parts of institution e.g. finance
- using data where it is e.g. not pulling into system

Building on Rosetta infrastructure (which went live in 2008)

Roadmap:
2010 - complete requirements gathering
Mid 2011 - beta version to beta partners
Mid 2012 - general release although won't have all functionality of all systems
End 2012 - first live systems

Also presentations from members of URM focus groups - looking at specific bits of functionality in their areas e.g. Circulation and Fulfilment group looking at Digitisation workflow from making request through to acquisition, Selection & Acquisition looked at selection tools, usage stats. General opinion is that the groups are working and are feeding into the EL development of URM.