The Content Working Group continues to address the content and quality of the KnowledgeBases (SFX KB, 360 KB, Alma CZ) and discover indexes (Primo Central, Summon), work with Ex Libris and encourage the user community to make their needs known. Suggestions for new content can be made using Idea Exchange Content forum. We are also preparing for a voting ballot in 2018 in the NERS Enhancement Request System – more news soon.

Recent Content WG discussions with Ex Libris have focused on issues with specific collections, in particular

  • SFX/Alma duplicate or near-duplicate collections (similar title lists, journal vs. article linking levels)
  • Vendor platform migrations which were not addressed in time in link resolver updates, e.g. Nexis Uni and Duke University Press.
  • PCI and Summon new collections with quality issues such as metadata fields missing or full-text not available.

Also we have responded to Ex Libris requests for feedback on the addition of annual collections to the knowledgebases (our answer: please add as early as possible), and details on how we check/test discovery collections.

We have a new point-of-contact at Ex Libris, Rael Elstein. We will be continuing discussions with Rael and her colleagues on these and other issues, and means of increasing communications between Ex Libris and the user community regarding content.

Kathy Varjabedian, Los Alamos National Laboratory
Co-chair, Content WG (Joint)