SFX, Information Needs, the Academic Library, and Its User

Introduction Libraries need an efficient way to manage their diverse electronic resources. At the same time, they need a tool that provides users with easy access to those digital items. Guaranteed simple and reliable access to full text sources (depending on existing subscriptions of course) is one of the main concerns of libraries in the digital age. The tool that supplied the solution to this problem is the OpenURL link resolver. (Ponsford, Stephens & Sewell, 2011). Today, SFX by Ex Libris is the most widely used OpenURL link resolver (Robertson &. Soderdahl, 2004). This article examines whether SFX can be used not only as a link resolver, but also as a tool for assessing user information needs. We shall review SFX\u27s contribution to the assessment of information needs in an academic library and its benefits to the users and to the library. Background Most commonly, link resolvers provide the library patron with the ability to move quickly from a citation in an abstracting and indexing database to the full text itself (Robertson &. Soderdahl, 2004). SFX and other link resolvers seamlessly offer links from one information resource to another. For example, users can jump from a citation in an abstracting and indexing source database to target resources, such as full-text articles, online catalogs, interlibrary loan or other options a library chooses to offer. The whole range of possible options is displayed in one menu, instead of having to perform multiple separate searches to locate what they are looking for. (Wakimoto, Walker & Dabbour, 2006). When integrating SFX software with Google Scholar, which is widely used by academics as one of the main gates to reliable academic sources, it enables users to search the library’s collection for e-journals, and eBooks, all through Google Scholar itself. Clicking on SFX icons in Google Scholar, the user is redirected to the SFX resolver, which displays links to the selected article that is a part of the library\u27s subscriptions elsewhere or displays other services related to the article, such as an interlibrary loan service or other function the library chose to offer. (Xu, 2010; Stowers& Tucker, 2009). SFX was first developed at the University of Ghent by Herbert Van de Sompel and was released as a commercial product by Ex Libris in 2001. SFX is an XML-based product that was not only built on the OpenURL framework, it was the technology for which OpenURL was originally defined and thus was the first OpenURL-based link resolver on the market. (Robertson & Soderdahl, 2004). Since 2001, for ten years now, SFX offers a wealth of features for end users and librarians at over 1800 institutions in more than 50 countries as ExLibris puts it. SFX offers its users four major benefits. First, it allows the retrieval of full text items that are part of the library\u27s subscriptions. Second, it enables users to find full text by its citation details without knowing in which database it is hosted. Third, if there is only a print option of the article available it will direct users to the library catalog for the holding information. In case the library doesn\u27t have the requested item, the interlibrary loan option will be suggested by the software. Last but not least, since 2009, SFX includes a recommender system, bX. By harvesting metadata from the SFX usage log files from all of the subscribing institutions, bX provides recommendations to articles. The bX recommendation service is similar to a commercial web site recommender. When a user searches for a specific article he gets a list of articles other users found interesting. This feature is very useful for users (Ponsford, Stephens, Sewell, 2011; Xu, 2010; Imler, 2011). SFX offers some crucial benefits for libraries, too. It not only helps to manage its electronic resources and provides smooth access to its customers, but also it allows librarians to learn a lot more about user information behavior and needs, using its unique features such as its statistical reports and more. The University of Haifa is located in the northern part of Israel, on Mount Carmel and across the Mediterranean Sea. The university community has about 18,000 students (bacholars, graduates, and PhD students) and over 1,200 faculty members. The Younes & Soraya Nazarian library is a central library which serves the entire university community. Its collection comprises more than 2 million books and electronic resources, among them 45,000 electronic journals. In January 2005, the library integrated the SFX software into its systems. The library experience with SFX and report analysis from the SFX log files will be used to demonstrate the potential advantage of SFX in the area of assessing information needs. How SFX Reveals and Satisfies the Academic User\u27s Information Needs The focus of this article is the contribution of SFX as a tool assisting the library to evaluate user information needs and satisfy some of them. This article will assess information needs by some of the parameters as first suggested by David Nicholas in 2000 and updated to the digital consumer by Nicholas & Herman in 2009 (Nicholas, 2000 ; Nicholas & Herman, 2009). SFX usage & statistical reports, produced at the Younes & Soraya Nazarian library of the University of Haifa, will be the source to the data presented according to these parameters

SFX, Information Needs, the Academic Library, and Its User

Introduction Libraries need an efficient way to manage their diverse electronic resources. At the same time, they need a tool that provides users with easy access to those digital items. Guaranteed simple and reliable access to full text sources (depending on existing subscriptions of course) is one of the main concerns of libraries in the digital age. The tool that supplied the solution to this problem is the OpenURL link resolver. (Ponsford, Stephens & Sewell, 2011). Today, SFX by Ex Libris is the most widely used OpenURL link resolver (Robertson &. Soderdahl, 2004). This article examines whether SFX can be used not only as a link resolver, but also as a tool for assessing user information needs. We shall review SFX\u27s contribution to the assessment of information needs in an academic library and its benefits to the users and to the library. Background Most commonly, link resolvers provide the library patron with the ability to move quickly from a citation in an abstracting and indexing database to the full text itself (Robertson &. Soderdahl, 2004). SFX and other link resolvers seamlessly offer links from one information resource to another. For example, users can jump from a citation in an abstracting and indexing source database to target resources, such as full-text articles, online catalogs, interlibrary loan or other options a library chooses to offer. The whole range of possible options is displayed in one menu, instead of having to perform multiple separate searches to locate what they are looking for. (Wakimoto, Walker & Dabbour, 2006). When integrating SFX software with Google Scholar, which is widely used by academics as one of the main gates to reliable academic sources, it enables users to search the library’s collection for e-journals, and eBooks, all through Google Scholar itself. Clicking on SFX icons in Google Scholar, the user is redirected to the SFX resolver, which displays links to the selected article that is a part of the library\u27s subscriptions elsewhere or displays other services related to the article, such as an interlibrary loan service or other function the library chose to offer. (Xu, 2010; Stowers& Tucker, 2009). SFX was first developed at the University of Ghent by Herbert Van de Sompel and was released as a commercial product by Ex Libris in 2001. SFX is an XML-based product that was not only built on the OpenURL framework, it was the technology for which OpenURL was originally defined and thus was the first OpenURL-based link resolver on the market. (Robertson & Soderdahl, 2004). Since 2001, for ten years now, SFX offers a wealth of features for end users and librarians at over 1800 institutions in more than 50 countries as ExLibris puts it. SFX offers its users four major benefits. First, it allows the retrieval of full text items that are part of the library\u27s subscriptions. Second, it enables users to find full text by its citation details without knowing in which database it is hosted. Third, if there is only a print option of the article available it will direct users to the library catalog for the holding information. In case the library doesn\u27t have the requested item, the interlibrary loan option will be suggested by the software. Last but not least, since 2009, SFX includes a recommender system, bX. By harvesting metadata from the SFX usage log files from all of the subscribing institutions, bX provides recommendations to articles. The bX recommendation service is similar to a commercial web site recommender. When a user searches for a specific article he gets a list of articles other users found interesting. This feature is very useful for users (Ponsford, Stephens, Sewell, 2011; Xu, 2010; Imler, 2011). SFX offers some crucial benefits for libraries, too. It not only helps to manage its electronic resources and provides smooth access to its customers, but also it allows librarians to learn a lot more about user information behavior and needs, using its unique features such as its statistical reports and more. The University of Haifa is located in the northern part of Israel, on Mount Carmel and across the Mediterranean Sea. The university community has about 18,000 students (bacholars, graduates, and PhD students) and over 1,200 faculty members. The Younes & Soraya Nazarian library is a central library which serves the entire university community. Its collection comprises more than 2 million books and electronic resources, among them 45,000 electronic journals. In January 2005, the library integrated the SFX software into its systems. The library experience with SFX and report analysis from the SFX log files will be used to demonstrate the potential advantage of SFX in the area of assessing information needs. How SFX Reveals and Satisfies the Academic User\u27s Information Needs The focus of this article is the contribution of SFX as a tool assisting the library to evaluate user information needs and satisfy some of them. This article will assess information needs by some of the parameters as first suggested by David Nicholas in 2000 and updated to the digital consumer by Nicholas & Herman in 2009 (Nicholas, 2000 ; Nicholas & Herman, 2009). SFX usage & statistical reports, produced at the Younes & Soraya Nazarian library of the University of Haifa, will be the source to the data presented according to these parameters

Rethinking Linking: Breathing New Life into OpenURL

[manuscript] In this issue of Library Technology Reports, authors Cindi Trainor and Jason Price revisit OpenURL and library linking. The OpenURL framework for context-sensitive linking has been in use for a decade, during which library collections and users\u27 behaviors have undergone radical change. This report examines how libraries can make use of web usability principles and data analysis to improve their local resolver installations and looks to the wider web for what the future of this integral library technology might hold

Selecting Link Resolver and Knowledge Base Software: Implications of Interoperability

Link resolver software and their associated knowledge bases are essential technologies for modern academic libraries. However, because of the increasing number of possible integrations involving link resolver software and knowledge bases, a library’s vendor relationships, product choices, and consortial arrangements may have the most dramatic effects on the user experience and back-end maintenance workloads. A project team at a large comprehensive university recently investigated link resolver products in an attempt to increase efficiency of back-end workflows while maintaining or improving the patron experience. The methodology used for product comparison may be useful for other libraries

Deciding to Change Openurl Link Resolvers

This article will be of interest to librarians, particularly those in consortia that are evaluating OpenURL link resolvers. This case study contrasts WebBridge (an Innovative Interface product) and LinkSource (EBSCO’s product). This study assisted us in the decision-making process of choosing an OpenURL link resolver that was sustainable to maintain and, most importantly, made it easier for users to access the full text of an article. This case study does not propose that one product is superior to another; however, the criteria and methods used to evaluate the products will be of use to those seeking to improve user access

Is Integrated Search the answer of libraries to Google?

Estudio sobre el proyecto de la Biblioteca de la Universidad de Tilburg para mejorar la recuperación de la información por parte de los usuarios a través de las distintas opciones de búsqueda integrada, las s llamadas herramientas de descubrimiento, dadas por las diferentes plataformas actualmente en el mercado: EBSCO Discovery Service, Primo / Primo Central (Ex Libris), Summon (Serials Solutions), Worldcat Local (OCLC). Se intenta encontrar una herramienta que haga frente a Google a la hora de la búsqueda y recuperación de la información por parte de los usuarios de la biblioteca.Place, T. (2010). Is Integrated Search the answer of libraries to Google?. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/867

IDS Project: Community and Innovation

This chapter discusses the distributed, volunteer nature of an information delivery cooperative which became formally designated as the IDS Project and how a “coalition of the willing” has been able to move the resource sharing community forward on a national scale through innovations in training, support, and technology. The authors use a case study approach to highlight some of the major accomplishments of the IDS Project, such as the Article Licensing Information Availability Service (ALIAS), IDS Search, the Mentor Program, and the Regional Users Groups. The team-based structure of the IDS Project allows for groups to work independently and from multiple locations while still creating a synergistic result through the combination of community and innovation. Distributed teams often provide enriched user skills for the group but often cause difficulties due to the distance, communication, and differing requirements of the different local institutions. The IDS Project’s use of technology and periodic face-to-face meetings has reduced the issues with distributed teams and created highly effective working groups. These groups, such as the mentors and the Technology Development Team, have provided excellent service and training to the member libraries. Through the use of the Best Practices Toolkit, the Getting It System Toolkit, ILLiad Addons produced by IDS, and other national services, the IDS Project has made it possible for libraries that use ILLiad to benefit from its developments

Deciding to Change OpenURL Link Resolvers

Abstract: This article will be of interest to librarians, particularly those in consortia that are evaluating OpenURL link resolvers. This case study contrasts WebBridge (an Innovative Interface product) and LinkSource (EBSCO's product). This study assisted us in the decision-making process of choosing an OpenURL link resolver that was sustainable to maintain and, most importantly, made it easier for users to access the full text of an article. This case study does not propose that one product is superior to another; however, the criteria and methods used to evaluate the products will be of use to those seeking to improve user access