Showing posts with label resource discovery. Show all posts
Showing posts with label resource discovery. Show all posts

Friday, September 20, 2013

We are all aggregators (and publishers) now: How discovery tools empower libraries

We are all aggregators (and publishers) now: How discovery tools empower libraries (no access unfortunately!)

Volume 30, Issue 7, 2013, Pages 7-9

 

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to argue that the new generation of discovery technologies empower libraries to behave like "aggregators" and "publishers". The paper summarizes Montclair State University's experience with the EDS discovery service and also includes examples from other institutions. Design/methodology/approach: The paper uses the experiences of several institutions to show the value of discovery tools and other technologies like institutional repositories in enhancing the role of academic libraries in higher education. Statistics and surveys culled from a variety of sources are cited in support of this contention. Findings: Many institutions are successfully incorporating discovery and other technologies (i.e. institutional repositories) in repositioning and reinvigorating the academic library. Practical implications: Academic libraries willing to make the investment in these technologies can capture the interest of their faculty, staff, and students. Originality/value: The paper provides an innovative perspective on the use of discovery and other complementary technologies that act in a synergistic way to strengthen the bond between libraries and their users. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

 

Monday, May 13, 2013

e-books in Academic Libraries: Challenges for Discovery and Access

Abstract

This paper examines the recent literature on the presentation of e-books in college and university libraries, focusing on three mechanisms for discovery and access: e-book vendors' interfaces, library catalogs (OPACs), and resource discovery tools (RDTs). If libraries rely on vendors' interfaces, patrons must search on multiple platforms, many of which have limited and idiosyncratic search mechanisms. The most common strategy for discovery and access—including e-books in the library catalog—brings its own set of challenges, including limited availability of records, lack of standardization, difficulties managing the addition and removal of titles, and the generally low quality of vendor-supplied records. Likewise, libraries that use resource discovery tools face another set of difficulties: incomplete coverage, reliance on metadata from external sources, problems with subject headings and authority control, difficulties with guest-user access, and continuing dependence on vendors' platforms for access to full text.