March 30, 2009
Over 35 major enhancements further streamline the implementation and maintenance of MetaLib, reducing the total cost of ownership and providing even more flexible integration options Jerusalem, Israel – March 30, 2009. Ex Libris™ Group is pleased to announce the release of version 4.3 of its MetaLib® gateway and metasearch solution. Over 35 major enhancements, originating largely from requests of the MetaLib user community, focus on further streamlining staff workflows to maximize efficiency and reduce the total cost of ownership. Used in nearly 50 countries worldwide, MetaLib provides powerful yet flexible management tools that can be easily adapted to customers’ local environments and practices. New functionality in this release increases this flexibility, enabling library staff to be even more responsive to the evolving needs of their users. Significant enhancements have been made to the MetaLib back-office tools, including the addition of task-based wizards that enable librarians to activate MetaLib resources quickly and easily, to customize the user interface, and to create deep-linking URLs to integrate the MetaLib functionality with other applications. MetaLib end users also will benefit from a number of enhancements, including tighter integration between MetaLib and the award-winning SFX® OpenURL-compliant link server, also from Ex Libris. From their brief list of search results, users will now be able to link directly to the full text of articles in peer-reviewed sources when they are available. The ongoing commitment of Ex Libris to collaborate with its customers has resulted in the addition of numerous enhancements requested by MetaLib users in version 4.3. Prerelease collaborative testing with a variety of existing MetaLib customers, including the Finnish National Electronic Library (FinELib), the California State University, and Duke University provided valuable feedback to Ex Libris development, implementation, support, and product management staff as the new version was being finalized for general release. “MetaLib 4.3 beta testing is a great example of cooperation between Ex Libris and customers. Everyone will benefit from the results,” said Ere Maijala, IT research specialist at FinELib. ”MetaLib 4.3 is an important step in making everyday management tasks easier—the integration of QuickSet maintenance in the management interface alone makes this release worthwhile.” Marvin Pollard, Systemwide Library Initiatives project manager at the California State University, added: ”MetaLib version 4.3 extends the set of powerful tools designed expressly for managers of electronic resources while maintaining backward compatibility with existing implementations of MetaLib. Librarians and library users alike will appreciate the refinements that Ex Libris has delivered in this latest version of MetaLib.” Nancy Dushkin, VP marketing at Ex Libris, commented: ”Version 4.3 demonstrates the value of collaboration with the MetaLib user community—numbering over 1200 institutions worldwide– as well as our commitment to continually enhancing our metasearching technology. MetaLib 4.3 continues the Ex Libris tradition of powerful, flexible solutions that help libraries meet the needs of their users in an increasingly complex information landscape. The planning process for the next major Ex Libris metasearch release has already begun.” About Ex Libris Dedicated to developing creative solutions in close collaboration with our customers, Ex Libris enables libraries to maximize productivity and efficiency and, at the same time, greatly enhance the user experience. By empowering users to discover and obtain the information they need, libraries ensure their position as the bridge to knowledge. For additional information on Ex Libris Group, see http://www.exlibrisgroup.com/.
Ex Libris is a leading provider of automation solutions for academic, national, and research libraries. Offering the only comprehensive product suite for electronic, digital, and print materials, Ex Libris provides efficient, user-friendly products that serve the needs of libraries today and will enable them to transition into the future. Ex Libris maintains an impressive customer base consisting of thousands of sites in more than 70 countries on six continents.
