HARVARD LIBRARIES TABLE OF CONTENTS SERVICE

INTEGRATING SFX & E-MAIL TOC ALERTS

Amira Aaron

Manager, Digital Content and Access Services

Harvard University Library Office for Information Systems

amira_aaron@harvard.edu

THE PROBLEM

At Harvard, users must authenticate even on campus

The reason for this is a complex cost distribution process based on usage statistics by faculty/dept.

Publisher alerts of new content do not allow for direct linking to content without authentication

Appropriate copy problem

INTERIM SOLUTION Searched for a centralized TOC service

which would provide the openURL in e-mail alerts

TDNet was the only one at the time who agreed to implement this – worked with them to get it right

SFX buttons are also included online with TOC’s on the site

SFX prompts authorization & solves appropriate copy problem

SFX also allows us to promote print copies if available

ISSUES WITH THE SERVICE

Now about 500 accounts on campus Issues are mostly not specific to TDNET All TOC services now use the British

Libraries Inside service and it’s slow – not for cutting edge research

Publishers’ sites are much more current Still some degree of centralized

management of accounts We still match holdings to offer only what

we have online or in print – problem with inactive print copies

THE REAL SOLUTION

We have been asking publishers and vendors to make their alerts openURL enabled – not a priority

Needs support from other libraries and organizations

We can do more to persuade publishers and vendors and educate them about how SFX encourages use of materials