> -----Original Message-----
> From: Open source software in libraries
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Chris Keene
> Sent: 03 February 2011 12:39
> 
> In terms of a knowledgebase (or the sort the comes with SFX and
Summon)
> It will be interesting to see if any future work around shared
services 
> for Electronic Resource Management produces something along these
lines 
> which could be used, though we are inevitable talking not short term
here!

And it would be interesting to explore whether JISC Collections could
seek to obtain metadata (or even full-text indexing) for the big package
deals negotiated on behalf of UK HE.  I'm sure I have heard somewhere
that it's quite common practice for purchasing consortia in Germany to
obtain article-level metadata for e-journals, but we're lucky if we get
accurate coverage data!  I think that it may have been mentioned by
Robert Bley from Ex Libris when he was demonstrating Primo to us, but I
may be imagining things.  If that was the occasion, I think his point
was that some institutions are obtaining a lot of external content and
indexing it in their local system.  I think it was their knowledge of
the success of German consortia in obtaining the metadata that had
encouraged Ex Libris to develop Primo Central.

The main attraction of these new-generation interfaces is the fact that
they'd also be saving us the work of obtaining article-level metadata
and indexing the e-resources.  But very few of the new interfaces have
good integration with patron functions like placing hold requests.  Very
few keep any kind of saved records, saved searches or alerts in a place
where libraries can exploit the usage and behaviour data.  And very few
of the interfaces offer much real customisation.

That's where the attraction of an open source search interface lies at
present, I think.  Or a bespoke interface from IndexData maybe.  But the
general perception is that this offers increased risk for a library,
rather than buying off the shelf.

If you've not seen Villanova's VuFind interface, it's worth a look.
There they have parallel searching in their local catalogue and Summon:
https://library.villanova.edu/Find/  -- but the results are not merged
into one result set, which appears to be the ideal these days.

I think at Royal Holloway Graham was hoping to have VuFind just
searching Summon (into which their Aleph catalogue has been loaded).  Is
the intention then to use VuFind's LMS drivers to provide the patron
functions like placing hold requests without having to go into the Aleph
catalogue?

Matthew

-- 
Matthew Phillips
Electronic Systems Librarian, Durham University
Durham University Library, Stockton Road, Durham, DH1 3LY
+44 (0)191 334 2941