A&I Discovery Focus Group

Ex Libris, ELUNA, and IGeLU have set up a joint focus group committed to improving discovery for our users by increasing availability of A&I content in discovery indices.

Purposes of the A&I Discovery Focus Group are:

  • to encourage A&I database providers to collaborate with Ex Libris by submitting A&I metadata to Ex Libris for inclusion in the Summon and Primo discovery indices.
  • to help Ex Libris to develop technological tools to overcome possible lack of A&I databases in specific domains.

Three work items have been decided:

  1. Increase A&I inclusion in Primo Central and Summon
    The goal of this work item is to provide the user group and Ex Libris with an actionable plan how to approach and deal with A&I vendors that have so far not consented to provide data for indexing.
  2. Content gap importance analysis
    The goal of this work item is to understand better what content exactly is missing in PC and summon (that is indexed in A&I databases and currently not obtained from other sources), how important it is, and how this might be obtained from elsewhere. It should be the basis for an actionable plan for Ex Libris to address the gaps.
  3. Functional gap analysis
    In some cases A&I databases offer discipline specific functions that are currently not available on Primo or Summon. The goal of this work item is to come up with a list of functions that are possibly useful and applicable for the discovery systems. It should result into an actionable plan for Ex Libris to evaluate the feasibility of these items and add them to the discovery roadmap if accepted.

Working Body:

  • Amira Aaron, Northeastern University, A.Aaron@northeastern.edu, (co-chair)
  • Christine Stohn, Ex Libris, Christine.Stohn@exlibrisgroup.com, (co-chair)
  • James Caudwell, University of Cambridge
  • Michael Franke-Maier, Freie Universität Berlin
  • Karen Grondin, University of Phoenix
  • Lee Houghton, University of Nottingham
  • Ed Jones, National University
  • Sarah Maximiek, Binghamton University
  • Victoria Mitchell, University of Oregon
  • Mark Mounts, Dartmouth College Library
  • François Renaville, University of Liège
  • Kristin Rogers, University of Mississippi
  • Emery Shriver, Williams College
  • Ken Varnum, University of Michigan
  • Michelle Wilde, Colorado State University

Activities begun in August 2017.