June 24, 2015
With its support for content neutrality, Ex Libris Primo offers users the most relevant search results
Jerusalem, Israel—June 24, 2015. In the cooperative spirit of the National Information Standards Organization (NISO), Ex Libris® Group, a global leader in library automation services, is pleased to publically declare its support of the Open Discovery Initiative (ODI) and conformance with ODI’s recommended practice for pre-indexed ”web-scale” discovery services. The ODI Working Group’s main objective is to promote transparency in content discovery and to improve the collaboration between discovery-index stakeholders.
As one of the founders and an active member of ODI, Ex Libris remains committed to the ODI objectives and has published an ODI Conformance Statement which articulates its efforts to meet ODI’s recommendations for discovery service providers. In line with ODI Conformance Checklist, Ex Libris already fully complies with the recommendations that pertain to content neutrality. Ex Libris Primo® discovery and delivery solution displays search results that are ranked according to their relevance to the user’s search context and the preferences set by libraries for their users. The ranking of search results, linking to content, inclusion of materials in Primo Central, and discovery of open access content all uphold the principles of content neutrality. Ex Libris continues to work toward full compliance with ODI recommendations.
“The ODI Conformance Checklist was created to enable standardized methods for discovery service providers to assert their ODI support of libraries, content providers, and other industry stakeholders,” commented Laura Morse, ODI co-chair and director of library systems at Harvard University. “We are delighted that Ex Libris is leading the way in implementing ODI’s recommendations, and we truly believe that their compliance will enhance the entire scholarly communication community.”
“It’s gratifying to see the support for the Open Discovery Initiative recommendations from Ex Libris, and we hope that others will follow this lead,” said Todd Carpenter, executive director of NISO. “We recognize that this statement represents their commitment to transparency and their willingness to communicate openly with all stakeholders in the discovery arena.”
“We are very pleased to be part of the ODI WORKING GROUP and to advance the concept of open discovery for the benefit of customers and industry stakeholders,” said Shlomi Kringel, Ex Libris corporate vice president for discovery and delivery solutions. “We continue to work closely with the group members to strengthen collaboration and transparency among content and discovery providers.”
For more information about ODI’s goals and requirements, please visit http://www.niso.org/workrooms/odi/
For the Ex Libris Conformance Statement and Checklist, please visit http://www.exlibrisgroup.com/default.asp?catid=%7B8B84715C-234A-44A9-B3C1-DCDD2E18D049%7D
About Ex Libris
Ex Libris is a leading global provider of cloud-based and on-premises solutions for higher education. Offering SaaS implementations for the management and discovery of the full spectrum of library materials, as well as mobile campus services for driving student engagement and success, the Company serves over 5,600 customers in 90 countries. Ex Libris solutions are deployed at 43 of the top 50 universities worldwide and more than 40 national libraries.
With the Ex Libris Alma® resource management service and Primo® discovery and delivery solution, libraries lower operational costs, increase efficiency, and add value to their institution through diverse new services and collaboration with other libraries and organizations. The Ex Libris campusM™ mobile platform enables universities to deliver a unified digital experience, promoting student engagement while providing mobile access to campus-wide information and services.
For more information about Ex Libris Group, see our website, and join us on Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
About the Open Discovery Initiative
Sponsored by the National Information Standards Organization (NISO), the Open Discovery Initiative (ODI) aims at defining standards and/or best practices for the new generation of library discovery services that are based on indexed search. These discovery services are primarily based upon indexes derived from journals, ebooks and other electronic information of a scholarly nature. The content comes from a range of information providers and products—commercial, open access, institutional, etc.
The Recommended Practice was created by members of the ODI Working Group, which completed its work in June 2014 with the publication of NISO RP-19-2014. The ODI Standing Committee is now responsible for support and promotion of this work going forward. To learn more about ODI conformance, visit the Open Discovery Initiative workroom and download NISO RP-19-2014.
