Serials Solutions® Announces New EBooks Metadata Normalization Process for KnowledgeWorks
Serials Solutions is pleased to announce the development of a new E-Books Metadata Normalization process for Serials Solutions® KnowledgeWorks, the authoritative e-resource knowledgebase. As a result of this new process, KnowledgeWorks is able to deliver the best possible access to eBooks through 360 services and OPACs.
“The investment incurred in developing this process demonstrates the continuing commitment of Serials Solutions to advancing e-librarianship and maintaining KnowledgeWorks as the most authoritative e-resource knowledgebase,” says Jane Burke, Vice President of Serials Solutions.
EBook metadata is normalized in the KnowledgeWorks knowledgebase to provide more accurate and consistent eBooks holdings information to improve access and management of eBooks. To enable normalization of eBooks metadata, Serials Solutions metadata librarians have developed innovative and trustworthy algorithms that efficiently aggregate and authoritatively link data from all available sources. For each eBook in the library’s collection, KnowledgeWorks aggregates holdings data from all subscribed databases and normalizes them into a single record. This makes it easier for patrons to find and access the eBooks in the collection, thereby increasing usage and return on investment in eBooks content.
Serials Solutions staff librarians have harvested and analyzed eBooks metadata from a specialist’s perspective to optimize the eBook discovery experience for patrons, and the management experience for librarians. Says Tim Fujita-Yuhas, Senior Product Manager for Serials Solutions. “Our normalization processes mean that librarians don’t have to spend time reviewing and troubleshooting eBooks data. We eliminate errors, fill in the blanks, and correct the links to provide clean and consistent data. We also have built relationships with providers through our KnowledgeWorks Certification process. This ensures that you are getting the best possible data from those providers and continuously improves our data exchange.”
Serials Solutions acquires eBooks metadata from all available resources without preference or exclusion. This comprehensive approach means that Serials Solutions services provide the broadest collection coverage for libraries of all types and sizes. EBook records harvested by Serials Solutions populate the Serials Solutions KnowledgeWorks knowledgebase, and are distributed to patrons through the patron-facing interfaces of Serials Solutions 360 access services and the library’s OPAC via 360 MARC Updates. Each Serials Solutions 360 service shares the same KnowledgeWorks data and administrative interface to eliminate redundancy and increase the efficiency and effectiveness of each service. The new e-Books normalization process will be implemented and available in Serials Solutions KnowledgeWorks knowledgebase in January 2010.
About Serials Solutions
Founded by a librarian for librarians in 2000, Serials Solutions is the global leader in E-Resource Access and Management Services (ERAMS) that serves more than 2,000 libraries of all sizes and types. Serials Solutions® KnowledgeWorks, the authoritative e-resource knowledgebase, is the foundation for Serials Solutions® 360, the only complete and integrated e-resource access and management solution. Serials Solutions recently introduced the Summon™ web-scale discovery service, a revolutionary tool that provides instant access to the full breadth of the library’s collection through a single search.
Serials Solutions also is the exclusive source for Ulrichsweb.com™ and Ulrich’s Serials Analysis System™ worldwide, and represents the AquaBrowser® Discovery Layer in the academic market in North America and Australia. The WebFeat® federated search service recently acquired by ProQuest soon will be incorporated into the Serials Solutions family of access and discovery services.
Serials Solutions provides fast implementation, easy customization, and outstanding value to libraries throughout the world.
Serials Solutions is a division of ProQuest LLC.
About ProQuest LLC
ProQuest creates specialized information resources and technologies that propel successful research and lifelong learning. A global leader in serving libraries of all types, ProQuest offers the culmination of experience from many respected brands, including CSA™, UMI®, Chadwyck-Healey™, SIRS®, and eLibrary®. With Serials Solutions®, Ulrich’s™, RefWorks®, COS™, and Dialog® brands now in the ProQuest family, the company continues to build on its legacy of responsive people in partnership with librarians.
ProQuest consistently seeks new ways to support researchers and quality research. More than a content provider or aggregator, ProQuest is an information partner, creating indispensable research solutions that connect people and information. Through innovative, user-centered technology, ProQuest offers a depth and breadth of global content that includes historical newspapers, dissertations, and uniquely relevant resources for researchers of any age and sophistication—including content not likely to be digitized by others. Inspired by its customers and end users, ProQuest is working toward a future that blends information accessibility with community to further enhance learning and encourage lifelong enrichment. For more information, visit www.proquest.com or the ProQuest parent company website, www.cambridgeinformationgroup.com.