Laurence,
The simple answer is that we wanted to give our users an experience
that was more effective than metasearching multiple, individual
databases; something more similar to the Primo/PCI or Summon or EDS
(Ebsco) functionality. The weakness you cite is one of several we had
with metasearching in general not just MetaLib. Performance is
another. We did not purchase Primo (Ex Libris' Solr-based repository
for library-owned metadata and UI). We licensed access to the Primo
Central Index (the megaindex for journal articles and other e-resources)
and the API to integrate it with our Solr-based repository and
locally-developed UI (aka Mango).
- Michele
On 9/1/2011 3:03 AM, Laurence Lockton wrote:
> Hi Michele,
>
> My understanding is that Primo Central as a target for MetaLib does
> not give you the ability to match results to your holdings, so users
> cannot choose to search only items with full text available. Is that
> right, and is that why you licenced Primo Central separately? And you
> didn't have to purchase Primo itself, but there's an extra cost for
> the API?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Laurence Lockton
> University of Bath
> UK
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Next generation catalogs for libraries
> [mailto:NGC4LIB_at_LISTSERV.ND.EDU] On Behalf Of Michele Newberry
> Sent: Wednesday, August 31, 2011 3:01 PM
> To: NGC4LIB_at_LISTSERV.ND.EDU
> Subject: Re: [NGC4LIB] Primo Central without Primo
>
> PCI = Primo Central Index
>
> BTW I was alerted that the link I sent included a session ID so this one
> will last longer:
> http://fgcu.catalog.fcla.edu/gc.jsp?st=everglades+research&ix=kw&fl=ba
>
> We got PCI because of our MetaLib license (as does other Ex Libris
> customers) but we wanted to use if via our own interface (fondly known
> as Mango) so we separately licensed it and the PCI API.
>
> We don't view it that we're merging external databases into the PCI
> result set - we're merging PCI search results into our internal Mango
> result set. Might just be semantics.
>
> - Michele
>
Received on Thu Sep 01 2011 - 13:49:27 EDT