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1 – 10 of 19Doris M. Munson and Justin L. Otto
This paper's purpose is to describe an investigation of whether the addition of an interlibrary loan link as an option in the OpenURL link resolver menu has an effect on…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper's purpose is to describe an investigation of whether the addition of an interlibrary loan link as an option in the OpenURL link resolver menu has an effect on interlibrary loan requests for articles.
Design/methodology/approach
Four years of link resolver clickthrough data were analyzed in conjunction with ten years of interlibrary loan article request data.
Findings
The data showed that requests to ILL increased at first, then fell, and then rose again. There is a correlation between link resolver clickthroughs and ILL requests.
Research limitations/implications
This paper employed data gathered over a longer time period than previous research on this topic and thus provides a broader exploration of the effect of providing links to ILL through a link resolver. While most OpenURL clickthrough data employed in research are gathered from the SFX OpenURL resolver, here the authors used WebBridge.
Originality/value
This paper offers an example of how non‐SFX institutions can employ clickthrough data to explore issues such as user behavior with regard to ILL.
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Keywords
This paper aims to describe the first year of implementation of the Innovative Interfaces Inc. Millennium Access Plus (MAP) portal at the University of Exeter Library, UK.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to describe the first year of implementation of the Innovative Interfaces Inc. Millennium Access Plus (MAP) portal at the University of Exeter Library, UK.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper provides a description of the features of MAP and a case study
Findings
In as little as 25 years, online information provision has been transformed. This has largely been uncontrolled, yet the resources now available offer rich returns for the data‐hungry end user. Increasingly, many users require their information immediately and really do not care where it is stored. Such demands, coupled with librarians’ natural tendency to apply order, have led to the development of library portals which aim to solve the problems arising from trying to navigate this labyrinth of information. The MAP portal is one such product. Using the NISO OpenURL standard, MAP offers three main elements – contextual linking via WebBridge, one step “multi” searching using MetaFind and resource authentication through Web Access Management (WAM). Use of this portal at the University of Exeter Library has made a considerable, positive impact on the recent use of online full‐text systems and services and the experiences undoubtedly point to a strong future for such interfaces everywhere.
Research limitations/implications
The paper is limited to experiences at the University of Exeter Library.
Practical implications
The paper will inform the information community on the experiences of this innovative product
Originality/value
This is an original description of a new concept and provides evaluative material.
Details
Keywords
Libraries offer a diverse array of information resources‐both in electronic and print formats. The challenge for libraries is to provide access to all of these resources in an…
Abstract
Libraries offer a diverse array of information resources‐both in electronic and print formats. The challenge for libraries is to provide access to all of these resources in an integrated and user‐friendly way. MAP (Millennium AccessPlus) meets this challenge with three different functions: WebBridge, MetaFind, and WebAccess Management. Together, these tools provide libraries with the ability to manage and control access to all of their information resources by providing smart linking, multi‐protocol meta‐searching, and authentication.
To consider the findings of a recent e‐resources survey at the University of Exeter Library in the context of the dominance of web search engines in academia, balanced by the…
Abstract
Purpose
To consider the findings of a recent e‐resources survey at the University of Exeter Library in the context of the dominance of web search engines in academia, balanced by the development of e‐library tools such as the library OPAC, OpenURL resolvers, metasearch engines, LDAP and proxy servers, and electronic resource management modules.
Design/methodology/approach
Report of survey findings in the context of similar, recent research and articles.
Findings
The survey confirmed the very high usage, ease of use, confident use and user satisfaction in web search engines as the predominant means of accessing academic information. The survey also reveals the considerable use, user confidence, and search success of Exeter's various e‐library tools. A number of variations have been detected between user groups including part‐time groups, disabled users and those who do not own personal computers.
Practical implications
The paper confirms popular conceptions about how academic users access information although it clearly identifies a vital, continuing role for e‐library tools which must accordingly develop and adapt to users' preferences.
Originality/value
The paper draws on aspects raised by recent international surveys and research. It reveals highly‐profiled survey findings in the context of the University of Exeter and a unique insight into the current use of e‐library tools in this setting.
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Zahiruddin Khurshid and Syed Sajjad Ahmed
The paper aims to highlight both major and minor features of the library portal, which empowers users to get access to a wide variety of e‐resources with a single sign‐on.
Abstract
Purpose
The paper aims to highlight both major and minor features of the library portal, which empowers users to get access to a wide variety of e‐resources with a single sign‐on.
Design/methodology/approach
The study is mainly based on a review of the literature. It briefly discusses the transition from the library OPAC to the library portal.
Findings
A library portal is an extension of the Web OPAC. It continues to improve with the new features and capabilities, some of which may go beyond the library portal.
Originality/value
Library portals are changing too rapidly and the information would be out of date within a few months. So the currency of information is the value of this paper.
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Ki‐Tat Lam and Diana L.H. Chan
The purpose of this paper is to document Hong Kong University of Science and Technology's (HKUST's) experiences in developing its Institutional Repository and to highlight its…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to document Hong Kong University of Science and Technology's (HKUST's) experiences in developing its Institutional Repository and to highlight its programming developments in full‐text linking and indexing, and cross institutional searching.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper describes how HKUST Library planned and set up its institutional repository, how it acquired and processed the scholarly output, and what procedures and guidelines were established. It also discusses some new developments in systems, including the implementation of OpenURL linking from the pre‐published version in the repository to the published sources; the partnership with Scirus to enable full‐text searching; and the development of a cross‐searching platform for institutional repositories in Hong Kong.
Findings
The paper reveals what and why some policy issues should be adopted, including paper versioning, authority control, and withdrawal of items. It notes what proactive approaches should be adopted to harvest research output. It also shows how programming work can be done to provide usage data, facilitate searching and publicize the repository so that scholarly output can be more accessible to the research community.
Practical implications
The paper provides a very useful case study for other academic libraries who want to develop their own institutional repositories.
Originality/value
HKUST is an early implementer of institutional repositories in Asia and its unique experience in policy issues, harvesting contents, standardization, software customization, and measures adopted in enhancing global access will be useful to similar institutions.
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Keywords
There are a number of portal products and solutions in the library marketplace, many of which have been developed by library management system (LMS) suppliers. The main system…
Abstract
There are a number of portal products and solutions in the library marketplace, many of which have been developed by library management system (LMS) suppliers. The main system features and some of the more significant examples of commercial library portal products are described in this article. These are sophisticated complex systems which can unlock the wealth of digital resources held in libraries. Most require a certain amount of customisation by the individual library and information services. However, for those libraries which can afford the base cost of one of these products, the return on investment is justified by maximised usage of key quality electronic library resources.
Details