Low-Cost OpenURL Resolver Scoping Study
This scoping study investigates whether comprehensive deployment of OpenURL resolvers within UK Higher Education and larger Further Education Institutions is feasible and desirable.
Executive Summary
The rationale for the study was to determine whether there is a role in UK HE/FE for a low-cost OpenURL resolver delivering the minimum essential functionality. The study was informed by desk-research, interviews and email correspondence with key stakeholders and by responses to a web-form questionnaire. The authors found that while there is widespread take-up of link resolvers in the larger Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in the UK, there remains unmet demand among the medium and small sized institutions. Those HEIs without believe that they would benefit by implementing a resolver. There appeared to be very little demand in the Further Education Sector. Use of A&I databases is far less common in FE than in HE and students in FE often rely on services that are specifically targeted at their subject areas and provide full text; in FE some databases are effectively ‘one-stop-shops’ for students. Among those institutions that currently license link resolvers there is discontent about the extent to which they must configure the Knowledge Base (KB) for licensed content that is UKspecific. The report indicates the baseline features and functions that are required from a link resolver. It recommends that further work be done to explore the feasibility of centralised, collaborative UK-focussed link resolver based on a KB. The suitability of OpenSource and Collaborative Developments should be evaluated as the basis of such a solution. A key requirement for this work is that it should be developed by a team consisting not only of technical staff; serials librarians with experience of KB-configuration and understanding of the NESLi2 licence packages must also be involved in the specification and development of such a service.
Recommendation
We recommend that further work be undertaken to explore the feasibility of a centralised, collaborative UK-focussed link resolver based on a KB. We recommend that a specification for a link resolver, based on those outlined in this report and with input from the UK HE library community (e.g. through the JIBS User Group), be developed. The team undertaking this work should include not only technical staff but serials librarians with experience of KB-configuration and understanding of the NESLi2 licence packages. The development should be undertaken by an NDC; the requirements work should involve librarians, i.e. this would not be a collaborative
specification and development. The following should be explored as part of this work:
- The suitability of the reSearcher solutions developed at the Simon Fraser University as the basis for this link resolver
- The suitability of the GoldRush solution as the basis for the resolver
- Assessment of the availability and comparison of the suitability of several candidate sources of data (e.g. the KBs of GoldRush, reSearcher, and one or more commercial offerings such as Serials Solutions)
- The extent of the development work and ongoing maintenance work required to configure the selected KB for the UK community
- The feasibility of a UK-wide consortium of HE libraries that might contribute to configuration and maintenance of the KB for a UK-focussed solution and a model whereby the effort might be shared by subscribing institutions
- The cost of such a development and projected income based on likely take-up among institutions that currently have link resolvers as well as among those HEIs that do not and the larger FEIs