Serials Solutions Implements the AquaBrowser® Unified Discovery Interface at George Washington
Serials Solutions announced that the Gelman Library System at George Washington University has chosen the AquaBrowser® Unified Discovery Interface to provide patrons with enhanced access to the library’s entire collection. "AquaBrowser is an ideal choice for Gelman Library." says University Librarian Jack Siggins.
"We like the fact that MediaLab Solutions, the creator of AquaBrowser, started out as a human-computer interaction company. The many years spent doing HCI research and usability engineering shows in the quality of the interface. We also appreciate the way AquaBrowser uses open architecture and standards such as XML and XSLT."
Gelman Library is a member of the Washington Research Library Consortium (WRLC) which implemented its current Voyager integrated library system in 1997. Voyager replaced Gelman’s NOTIS system. At that time, Gelman and the other consortium libraries launched an online public access catalog, called Aladin. The decision to adopt AquaBrowser as an alternative to the Aladin interface for Gelman Library was the result of a three-month product review during which other fully featured discovery layer offerings were examined.
Located in the heart of the nation’s capital, The George Washington University was created by an Act of Congress in 1821. Today, GW is the largest institution of higher education in Washington, D.C. The University offers comprehensive programs of undergraduate and graduate liberal arts study, as well as degree programs in medicine, public health, law, engineering, education, business, and international affairs. Each year, GW enrolls a diverse population of undergraduate, graduate, and professional students from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and more than 130 countries.
"Academic libraries like George Washington University are choosing AquaBrowser to integrate their collections, data sources—including non-MARC metadata—and websites in one simple, intuitive and powerful interface," says Jane Burke, Serials Solutions General Manager. "We are proud to welcome the Gelman Library System as an AquaBrowser client and look forward to working with the GWU librarians to improve resource access for the library’s patrons."
The AquaBrowser unified discovery interface gives patrons the ability to search all indexed content with a single query, regardless of format or where the content is located within the library. Search results are simultaneously ranked by relevance and visualized using word clouds that provide opportunities for further exploration. These results can be further refined using faceted navigation. AquaBrowser is a proven, vendor-neutral discovery platform that works with any integrated library system (ILS). Libraries can implement AquaBrowser with any ILS and then migrate it easily if and when they choose a new ILS system, including any open source ones.
Serials Solutions is the exclusive reseller of AquaBrowser to academic libraries in North America. For more information about AquaBrowser, visit http://www.serialssolutions.com/aquabrowser, email 360@serialssolutions.com or call 1-866-SERIALS (737-4257).
About Serials Solutions
Founded in 2000 by a librarian for librarians, 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, and Serials Solutions® Summon™ unified discovery service.
Serials Solutions also is the exclusive source for Ulrichs™ Global Serials Intelligence and represents the AquaBrowser Library® unified discovery interface in the academic market in North America. 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. For more information, please visit www.serialssolutions.com or call 1-866-SERIALS. 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.