[WEB4LIB] OpenURL services

[Karen Harker]

I would like to ask the list a more general question, referrign to
Stacy's comments about EBSCO....are such vendors working towards
integrating their datasets to provide Libraries with an integrated
solution to managing electronic journal data?  We are currently in a
situation not unlike other libraries of maintaining two separate data
sets with vast amount of overlap (title, ISSN, holdings, etc.).  I had
presumed that EBSCO's link resolver data was integrated with their
AtoZ/EJS service.  If it is not, why not? 

Currently, we maintain our own ejournal list and maintain a third-party
link resolver, both of which require significant staff effort to
maintain with a high degree of quality.  Even if we subscribe to the
EJS/AtoZ and their link resolver, would we also continue to have to
maintain the link resolver database?

It seems to me that the most efficient and effective way of doing this
is to have a single set of data.  Why are these vendors providing that?

OK, my venting has been completed.



Karen R. Harker, MLS
UT Southwestern Medical Library
5323 Harry Hines Blvd.
Dallas, TX  75390-9049
214-648-8946
http://www.utsouthwestern.edu/library/

>>> Stacy Pober <stacy.pober at manhattan.edu> 2/9/2005 12:36:20 PM >>>
We're currently shopping for an OpenURL service.  We're looking for one
that
will be hosted by the vendor - not on one of our servers.

The ones we're considering are:

SFX eXpress by Ex Libris
Serials Solutions Article Linker
EBSCO Link Resolver

The prices are very competitive, so that's not an issue.  Ease of use
and
options are more important.

We currently use EBSCO AtoZ for our journals holdings, so I was leaning
towards
using them if I can determine that the Link Resolver will work
smoothly
with the AtoZ list (AtoZ is done through EBSCO's Alabama offices,
while
the Link Resolver is in Ipswich MA, so integration can't be assumed
just
because they're both EBSCO products).

If you're using any vendor-hosted OpenURL service for your library and
can
share its pros and cons, I'd be glad to hear about your experience.

I get this list on digest, so if you could cc: me on list responses, I
would
appreciate.

Advance thanks,
Stacy Pober
Information Alchemist
Manhattan College
O'Malley Library
Riverdale, NY 10471
stacy.pober at manhattan.edu 

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