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Smart Libraries Newsletter

May 2009

In Smart Libraries Newsletter This Month:

OCLC Partners with EBSCO to Expand Access to Articles in Worldcat Local

by Marshall Breeding

"In order to be more successful as a discovery interface, OCLC has been working on expanding the reach of WorldCat Local to include ever-larger collections of articles and other resources.

In the world of next-generation discovery interfaces, competitors battle to deliver more and more content through a single search box. OCLC positions WorldCat Local as a next generation library interface, using its massive WorldCat database to provide a novel model of access to library collections rather than Web-based online catalogs tied to the contents of a single library or consortium. WorldCat Local embodies the approach of presenting users with the ability to search against an expansive universe of resources, sorting results so that items available locally appear more prominently than those from more distant locations. This model allows library users to easily discover materials even when they are not held by their local library, with a built-in streamlined approach for requesting materials held in other libraries."

-Marshall Breeding Read More »

April 2009

In Smart Libraries Newsletter This Month:

Open Source Discovery Interfaces Gain Momentum
by Marshall Breeding

"The library community's intense interest in discovery interfaces that allow libraries to offer more modern tools to their users for searching their collections continues. While many libraries cannot make wholesale changes in their automation environment, many seek better interfaces for their end users. Almost all of the commercial library automation vendors now offer products in this genre, including Encore from Innovative Interfaces, AquaBrowser created by Medialab Solutions and distributed by R.R. Bowker, Primo from Ex Libris, LS2 PAC from The Library Corporation, Illuminar from Auto-Graphics, BiblioCommons, and Enterprise from SirsiDynix. As fewer libraries purchase new ILS products, the sale of products like discovery interfaces represent an increasing proportion of revenue for these companies.
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March 2009

In Smart Libraries Newsletter This Month:

National Endowment for the Arts: Reading on the Rise
by Tom Peters

"For several decades, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) has been studying the reading habits of American adults. For most of the past 26 years, the number of Americans who read has trended downward. The 2004 NEA report Reading at Risk featured alarming numbers describing America's declining reading habits. This report caused quite a stir and led to various new initiatives, including NEA's own Big Read Initiative, to address the problem."

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