Shared Resource Discovery

Part of the remit of the Virtual Academic Library project is to provide shared access to library catalogues and, if feasible, e-resources, creating a “one-stop shop” for staff and students to find the material they need regardless of which SWWHEP institution holds it.

At present, the three library services use different library management systems (LMS) to manage their stock and provide  an online public access catalogue (OPAC) for users. In addition, they use a variety of different tools for the search and delivery of other materials, such as e-journals.

The shared resource discovery strand of the Virtual Academic Library project will produce a unified, online public catalogue covering all the stock of the three libraries and providing users with a new, modern, search interface including enhanced features and Web2.0 technology. Catalogue records from the three existing systems will be harvested and merged into a single catalogue database, with transparent links back to the individual LMSs to allow users check item availability and place requests. The same interface will provide a federated search cabability, allowing users to search large numbers of electronic journals and other e-resources with a single enquiry and then connect to full-text results where they are available.

In order to provide this enhanced, streamlined, search capability, the Virtual Academic Library has purchased the industry-leading Metalib and SFX federated search and e-resource linking products from library systems supplier Ex Libris.

The combined catalogue of librarys' own holding will be provided by an Open Source next-generation catalogue, VuFind, which was developed at Villanova University in the United States. The use of an open source product will allow SWWHEP staff to develop its own enhancements in order to meet the virtual library’s specific needs, which may be fed back into the open source community.