MetaLib @ BC
Integration of Systems and Resources
MetaLib at Boston College
Theresa Lyman
Digital Resources Reference Librarian
Boston College Libraries
NELA Annual Conference - October 2003
MetaLib @ BC
Boston College
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User Population
• 9,000 undergrad
• 4,700 graduate
• 820 faculty
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BC Library Facts
• 8 libraries/centers
• Staff: 200 FTEs
• Electronic resources acquisitions budget –
$1.3 million (23%)
MetaLib @ BC
Where to Find Library Resources
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Library Catalog (ALEPH)
• Includes aggregator e-journals (Serial Solutions
MARC records)
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Web pages
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Online Databases (A-Z & by Subject)
Electronic Journals List (Serials Solutions)
Research Guides
Course Pages
more...
MetaLib @ BC
Why we need a portal?
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Growth of e-resources
• Huge cost and large # of resources to
manage – 300 databases and more than
18,000 e-journals
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Access/Management challenges
• Too many places to look for information
• User wants relevant resources
• Provide instruction to the user
MetaLib @ BC
Why We Chose MetaLib
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Existing positive relationship with Ex Libris
Saw opportunity to influence development &
willing to experiment
Mission - Libraries as technology leader on
campus
Creation of Digital Resources position in
Reference
MetaLib @ BC
What is MetaLib
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Gateway / Search Engine
• Allows cross-searching of multiple
databases
• Based on protocols (Z39.50, XML, HTTP)
• Customizable by user, to a certain degree
• Includes SFX – reference linking b/t
databases
• Includes e-journal lists from SFX
MetaLib @ BC
What is SFX
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Reference linking system based on
OpenURL
• Uses metadata from search results to offer
user connections to appropriate services
• Most frequently links to Full Text
• BC’s SFX is called
• Works with many subscription databases
and within MetaLib
MetaLib @ BC
Implementation Timeline
July 2001 – MetaLib/SFX installed
Nov 2001 – SFX live
Jan 2002 – MetaLib v1 live
Aug 2003 – renamed SFX “Find It”
Aug 2003 – MetaLib v2 live
MetaLib @ BC
What we put into MetaLib
300+ databases, web sites, library catalogs
100 cross-searchable in MetaLib, including:
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BC ALEPH catalogs
Bowker
CSA
EBSCO
Gale InfoTrac
Grove
Library Catalogs
Ingenta
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ISI
OCLC
Ovid
ProQuest
RLG
SilverPlatter
Wilson
more……
MetaLib @ BC
Integrate systems & resources
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Cross searching (vendor and local databases)
Databases & e-journals in 1 place
Reference linking with SFX
Customization - alerts, e-Shelf, history
Incorporate services (citation management,
ILL, Ref 24/7, etc)
Use MetaLib to generate web pages
Deep linking from outside MetaLib
MetaLib @ BC
How students do research
Want to jump right into searching
 Don’t want to have to locate resources
 Love Google – simple, allows advanced
searching for those who want it
 Don’t distinguish between e-journals &
databases
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• Look for articles in the Library Catalog
MetaLib @ BC
Benefits of MetaLib
Great for quick searches, saves time
 Discovery tool (exposes students to
resources they might never use)
 Customization, save searches, alerts ..
 SFX easy way to point students to fulltext and holdings
 Use management interfaces to manage
e-resources
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MetaLib @ BC
Challenges of MetaLib
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Instruction
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When to use and when not to
How to use – locate resources before searching
Not all resources are searchable
Don’t want or realize customization features
Searching
• Search and display options limited
• Lack of relevancy ranking
• Lack of standards used by vendors
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Advanced users want more customization
SFX - expectation full-text is always available
MetaLib @ BC
MetaLib Statistics
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Statistics available with v. 2 (Aug 2003)
Quick Search – most popular by far
• Known item & keywords (titles, authors)
• “New York Times and Skywest”
• “course reserves”
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Locating resources is confusing
• “matrix AND Type=Newspaper”
• “television impact on people AND Type=Article
Database”
MetaLib @ BC
Future Developments
• Continue integration of resources
• Add Citation Linker & SFX to BC Catalog
• Add resources to MetaLib (including free)
• More use of MetaLib deep-linking (research guides
and WebCT)
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Outside of BC
• NISO MetaSearch Initiative – development of
standards
• Work with Ex Libris on interface enhancements:
quick searching by subject, single-sign on, etc.
MetaLib @ BC
Comments
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More resources OpenURL aware and allow
some kind of metasearching
Librarians should be aware of these
technologies when talking with vendors
Users want the convenience of linked
collections and Google-like searching
Users want services within context (make ILL
requests from the catalog or database)
MetaLib @ BC is a work in progress
MetaLib @ BC
Thank You
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