Posts filed under 'Reference'
OCLC has added 18 EBSCO databases to the WorldCat Local metasearch central index. In addition, the EBSCO Academic Search Complete database is now available through WorldCat Local via remote access. Nine of the new central index databases are additions to the content available through WorldCat Local and nine are moving from access through remote indexing to access through the central index.
The EBSCO databases now included in the WorldCat Local central index are:
- Academic Search Premier*
- Alt Health Watch*
- Bibliography of Native North Americans
- Biomedical Reference Collection: Expanded
- Business Source Complete*
- Business Source Premier*
- Canadian Reference Center
- Consumer Health Complete*
- Health Source: Consumer Edition*
- History Reference Center
- Information Science & Technology Abstracts
- Legal Collection
- Library Information Science and Technology Abstracts
- MAS Ultra School Edition*
- MasterFILE Premier*
- Military & Government Collection
- Newspaper Source*
- Religion & Philosophy Collection
*Databases currently offered via remote access
Academic Search Complete joins the growing list of databases available through WorldCat Local’s single search via remote access.
WorldCat Local libraries that subscribe to these EBSCO databases can configure access to them using the Service Configuration module. WorldCat Local libraries that do not currently subscribe to this content may contact EBSCO directly for subscription details.
The complete list of databases available through WorldCat Local is available on the OCLC Web site.
OCLC will continue to add both centrally indexed and remotely accessed databases to WorldCat Local in the future.
May 18th, 2010
OCLC and Gale have signed an agreement to index Gale’s flagship full-text periodical databases in WorldCat Local to provide single-search access to users that subscribe to both services.
The agreement calls for OCLC to centrally index the metadata of Gale’s Academic OneFile and General OneFile databases to provide WorldCat Local users a direct link to the abstracts and articles in these popular, authoritative resources. The two databases contain some 100 million records each that connect to millions of full-text articles in both HTML and PDF from peer-reviewed journals, newspapers and magazines, as well as thousands of podcasts and transcripts.
The result is that Gale’s high-quality content, which is among the most popular in libraries, will be more visible to library patrons through WorldCat Local, and searchers no longer will need to log in to multiple interfaces or navigate numerous results sets to find and get to the information they need.
“We are pleased to be working with OCLC to provide expanded access to some of our popular, award-winning databases through WorldCat Local and to extend our reach to users around the world,” said John Barnes, Gale Executive Vice President, Strategic Marketing and Business Development. “One of our objectives at Gale is to reach users wherever they do their research and connect them to high-quality content and resources their library holds. This partnership will expand our efforts to accomplish that goal.”
“This partnership continues our effort to make the full range of library resources accessible through WorldCat Local,” said Chip Nilges, OCLC Vice President, Business Development. “It is part of our goal to provide libraries with an integrated discovery and delivery service for their physical, licensed and locally produced electronic collections. We’re very pleased to add Gale to the leading content providers who are partnering with OCLC to make their content more accessible to libraries and their patrons through WorldCat Local.”
Gale joins a growing list of OCLC eContent partners that have agreed to have their databases indexed in WorldCat Local. These institutions are collaborating on a global scale to ensure that library users can find and access the valuable, authoritative content in their local libraries, in regional libraries and through the OCLC network of WorldCat libraries worldwide. Today, more than 100 databases, 420 million article records, and numerous digital library collections, including Google Book Search and HathiTrust, are combined with the 170 million items cataloged in WorldCat to provide libraries using WorldCat Local a rich and growing index that represents the combined print, electronic, and digital collections of the OCLC membership.
WorldCat Local is the service that combines the cooperative power of OCLC member libraries worldwide with the ability to use WorldCat.org as a solution for local discovery and delivery services. WorldCat Local provides a powerful discovery environment that includes a locally branded Web page and single search box, and presents localized results first while at the same time allowing the user to search the entire WorldCat database.
Since August 2009, users of WorldCat Local have been able to search content found in OCLC electronic resource services—OCLC FirstSearch databases, NetLibrary eBooks and eAudiobooks, Electronic Collections Online eJournals, ArchiveGrid archival collection descriptions and CAMIO (Catalog of Art Museum Images Online)—from the WorldCat Local search box. The Gale partnership continues these efforts by adding content from non-OCLC sources, giving libraries a full-featured way to easily connect information seekers with the materials they need.
OCLC is expanding the central index to include resources from other familiar content providers that are most used by libraries today. Over time, the central index will provide access to the majority of available content, and will be complemented by searching remote indexes to incorporate the diverse materials libraries make available to their users.
About Gale
Gale, part of Cengage Learning, serves the world’s information and education needs through its vast and dynamic content pools, which are used by students and consumers in their libraries, schools, and on the Internet. It is best known for the accuracy, breadth, and convenience of its data, addressing all types of information needs—from homework help to health questions to business profiles—in a variety of formats. For more information, visit www.gale.com.
About OCLC
Founded in 1967 and headquartered in Dublin, Ohio, OCLC is a nonprofit library service and research organization that has provided computer-based cataloging, reference, resource sharing, eContent, preservation, library management, and Web services to 72,000 libraries in 112 countries and territories. OCLC and its member libraries worldwide have created and maintain WorldCat, the world’s richest online resource for finding library materials. Search WorldCat.org on the Web at www.worldcat.org. For more information, visit www.oclc.org.
ArchiveGrid, CAMIO, Electronic Collections Online, FirstSearch, NetLibrary, OCLC, WorldCat, WorldCat Local, and WorldCat.org are trademarks/service marks of OCLC Online Computer Library Center, Inc. Third-party product, service and business names are trademarks/service marks of their respective owners.
March 24th, 2010
U.S. libraries that subscribe to the Text a Librarian (TAL) text messaging service from Mosio can now receive SMS text questions in QuestionPoint. This allows the library to integrate all its methods for receiving questions—e-mail, chat, SMS text, and telephone and in-person by the Add-Question feature—into one interface for answering, referring, tracking, and reporting. For more information, please visit QuestionPoint blog at http://questionpoint.blogs.com/
March 24th, 2010
OCLC NetLibrary has introduced 31 all new eBook Subject Sets for 2010, with a total of 95 eBook and eAudiobook Subject Sets. The Subject Sets are grouped in 11 collection categories, and the new sets include Graphic & Visual Arts, Photography, Entrepreneurship, Sports Administration, Green Technology, Geriatrics, Travel Guides, Library Administration, and more. Additionally, there are three iPod-compatible eAudibook Subject Sets available.
Selected from our catalog of more than 200,000 titles, Subject Sets are available for all library types and include OCLC MARC records, marketing support, and implementation services at no additional charge. As always, there is no duplication from set to set, or from previous years’ sets. Libraries can purchase by individual Subject Set or by category for complete subject coverage. Please note that Subject Sets are available to individual libraries and multi-branch library systems only and are not available for consortia sales. All titles included in Subject Sets have been cleared for worldwide distribution.
Complete title lists and additional resources are available at:
March 9th, 2010
March eBook of the Month – J.D.Salinger’s The Cather in the Rye: Bloom’s Modern Critical Interpretations
J. D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye: Bloom’s Modern Critical Interpretations
Edited by Harold Bloom
Chelsea House Publishers, 2009
Product ID: 274103
The Catcher in the Rye is one of the most popular and influential coming-of-age novels ever written, and its 17-year-old protagonist, Holden Caulfield, has become an icon of teen angst. The full-length essays in the March eBook of the Month provide a critical look at this classic by J.D. Salinger.
Edited by master scholar and Yale University Professor Harold Bloom, this comprehensive study guide presents a selection of the best current criticism and includes:
- Critical essays reflecting a variety of schools of criticism
- Notes on the contributing critics, a chronology of the author’s life, and a bibliography
- Introductory essay by Harold Bloom.
Designed to increase awareness of online resources and highlight the value of your eBook collection, the March eBook of the Month is provided through the generous support of Chelsea House Publishing. Don’t miss the opportunity to share this comprehensive study guide to one of Western literature’s most significant novels.
J. D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye: Bloom’s Modern Critical Interpretations will be provided with free, unlimited access March 1-31, 2010.
March 1st, 2010
QuestionPoint’s latest enhancements provide more opportunities for libraries to reach out to their users. The Qwidget (QuestionPoint’s chat widget) is now accessible on selected mobile devices and on Facebook. Join us today for a no-cost, live Web information session to find out more about QuestoinPoint’s Mobile Webkit, expanded Qwidget customization options, and our new knowledge base Web service. We will also discuss our collaboration with Text a Librarian and plans for incorporating SMS texting into QuestionPoint.
QuestionPoint provides a complete reference management system incorporating chat, e-mail, knowledge base and administrative tools. Libraries may also participate in the 24/7 Reference Cooperative to provide live 24-hour service to their users.
DATE / TIME
Wednesday, February 24, 2:00 – 3:00 pm ET
Register today >>
February 3rd, 2010
OCLC is pleased to announce that a freely-accessible site for searching only OAIster records is now available. With this OAIster site (http://oaister.worldcat.org/), you are able to search only OAIster and its millions of metadata records.
OAIster records will continue to be indexed in WorldCat.org, and will be integrated in WorldCat.org search results along with records from thousands of libraries worldwide. They will also be included in WorldCat Local and WorldCat Local “quick start” search results. Additionally, they will continue to be available on the OCLC FirstSearch service to Base Package subscribers, providing another valuable access point for this rich database and a complement to other FirstSearch databases.
More about OAIster
OAIster is a union catalog of digital resources hosted at the University of Michigan since 2002. Launched with grant support from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, OAIster was developed to test the feasibility of building a portal to open archive collections using the Open Archives Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting (OAI-PMH). In 2009, OCLC formed a partnership with the University of Michigan in order to provide continued access to open-archive collections through the OAIster database.
OAIster has grown to become one of the world’s largest aggregations of records pointing to open archive collections with more than 23 million records contributed by over 1,100 organizations worldwide.
February 1st, 2010
On January 27th, NetLibrary will release a new holds feature that will allow users to place popular eBooks and eAudiobooks on reserve. With this enhancement, users will be able to place holds request for titles in use by other users, view their place in line for each item, and receive e-mail notification when the content is available for check-out.
Holds will be available to all libraries that purchase content from NetLibrary. Users will be able to request a hold for up to 40 titles, with 2 days to check out titles once they become available. When the holds feature is initially released, functionality will be activated for eAudiobook content only. To activate holds for eBooks, e-mail OCLC’s Customer Service Department at support@oclc.org. Holds management, including the ability to turn holds on and off for each content type, modify the number of hold per patron, and view reports on popular titles held each month, will be available through the Library Resource Center in summer 2010.
With over 200,000 eBooks and 10,000 eAudiobooks available in the NetLibrary catalog and a growing number compatible with portable devices including mobile phones, laptops, iPods and iPhones, this new feature will enhance the user experience and increase circulation and management of NetLibrary content.
PLEASE NOTE: The addition of this feature will require that NetLibrary will be unavailable for approximately 1 hour, from 7am-8am EST Wednesday, January 27.
January 27th, 2010
Qwidget (the QuestionPoint chat widget) gives libraries the ability to embed a snippet of HTML code throughout their Web pages and in a variety of environments. The Qwidget is evolving, and we have added the following new features for Qwidget:
A. Mobile Qwidget
Users who navigate the web via their compatible mobile devices now have the ability to use an optimized Qwidget to connect with their librarian. In addition, iPhone users can download a direct link to the Qwidget, onto their home screen, represented by an icon (similar to an “App” icon). This allows them to begin a Qwidget session without first navigating to the library website via their mobile browser.
Although it imports all of the text and other characteristics of the Qwidget built by libraries in the QuestionPoint Administration module, this new, optimized Qwidget has a standard mobile interface, size and color.
The Mobile Qwidget will be available to the following types of device:
iPhone, Android, Palm.
B. Qwidget for Facebook
You can now add the Qwidget to Facebook! All you need is a Facebook account; you must also accept the Facebook application terms and conditions. A Qwidget for Facebook guide will walk you through the application creation process using Facebook Developer. Requests for the Qwidget for Facebook guide should be sent to David Leslie, at david_leslie@oclc.org. Please enter “Qwidget Facebook” in the subject line.
C. Chat widget display in WorldCat Local
The Chat functionality is available to libraries with full WorldCat Local subscriptions.
Institutions that have a Questionpoint Qwidget or other chat clients are now able to
provide their users the opportunity to chat directly with a librarian from within WorldCat
Local. This solution is designed to work with any chat client by inserting the code snippet
via configuration in the WorldCat Service Configuration User Interface module. For more info: http://www.oclc.org/us/en/questionpoint/worldcat_local_chat_overview.pdf
Other enhancements:
QuestionPoint Knowledge bases offered as Web service
QuestionPoint knowledge bases can now be accessed via other interfaces through the use of the web service search query and data record link. Searches can be posted and limited by any of the parameters on the QuestionPoint Advanced Search page. Search results can be rendered in xml or html for flexible implementation by various search engines. Text and json formats are also output options.
For details on how to implement this flexible new option, contact David Leslie at david_leslie@oclc.org. You will need to provide him with an IT contact person at your institution.
Custom Qwidget skins and formatting
QuestionPoint now offers your web team the ability to create a custom CSS file for the Qwidget. This will allow them to exactly match the color of the Qwidget with the rest of your website. Experience working with Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) and access to create and add files to a public-facing website are required. For step by step instructions on implementing this capability, please consult the link on the Qwidget creation page from within your Administrator interface. These self-created custom Qwidget “skins” will be stored and must be maintained on your own servers. The Qwidget mechanism itself will continue to be hosted on QuestionPoint servers at OCLC.
New report for “Number of Chat sessions accepted via Qwidget”
The number of Qwidget chat sessions your group, library, or librarians accepted is now a separate line item in the Chat Service section of all activity reports.
January 11th, 2010
Previous Posts
