May 31, 2007
Jerusalem, Israel
Enhanced SFX A-Z list makes direct access to electronic journals faster and more efficient
_x000D_Ex Libris™ Group today announced the release of significant enhancements to the SFX® link resolver A-Z list. Used in libraries to present patrons with a single, browsable, alphabetical listing of electronic journal products, the enhanced SFX A-Z functionality offers improved search and navigation of results–enabling users to obtain valuable scholarly information more efficiently.
_x000D_SFX A-Z list navigation now provides more informative alphabetic links, which allow users to “jump” to specific subsections of the list. Increased granularity of these subsections–configured by the library–enables users to drill down easily to the exact information they are seeking. Patrons can also navigate backward and forward in the list to search for journal titles via an improved multiple-word phrase search. With the integration of the SFX Citation Linker into the A-Z list, users are now able to access known citations directly on the SFX A-Z list page rather than by navigating elsewhere.
_x000D_Nettie Lagace, SFX product manager at Ex Libris, noted, “The SFX link resolver is a tremendously powerful tool for delivering the full text of electronic products to end users. Based on customer input, SFX is used extensively by library patrons. By providing libraries with features that increase SFX efficiency, we envision that the use of this product will grow even more.” Ms. Lagace added, “The purpose of continually improving and enhancing this product is to connect users as quickly as possible to the information that they require.”
_x000D_Emphasizing patron empowerment features, this release includes improved language options, such as Chinese, Japanese, and Korean support for searching, sorting, and displaying titles. Oded Scharfstein, vice president Asia Pacific at Ex Libris, observed, “The enhanced SFX A-Z list is an excellent service for the special linguistic and regional needs of markets around the world.” SFX A-Z also enables libraries to include headers that contain characters in multiple languages simultaneously.
_x000D_Further enhancements focus on enabling libraries to customize the “flavor” of their SFX A-Z list depending on where it is being used. Among these alternatives are A-Z full-text-only presentation, full text with holdings, and presentation of titles from library-specified providers. These options enable libraries to match the SFX A-Z list presentation with different library-defined material-delivery requirements. Libraries can also configure direct links to local services and control the “look and feel” of the display. As a great number of SFX customers are consortia, all enhancements in this release are designed for use in multilibrary consortium installations.
_x000D_About SFX:
_x000D_SFX–the original OpenURL link resolver–is an innovative tool for interconnecting library-controlled resources and services. SFX provides users with context-sensitive links to services that librarians define on the basis of their institution’s e-collections and policies. Such services, which are dynamically created, can include links to the full text of an article, the OPAC (for local holdings), preferred document-delivery suppliers, related Web-based resources and services, local information repositories, and a range of other services.
_x000D_For additional information on SFX, please see http://www.exlibrisgroup.com/sfx.htm.
_x000D_About Ex Libris Group:
_x000D_Ex Libris Group is a leading worldwide developer and provider of high-performance applications for libraries, information centers, and researchers, with installations around the globe. Ex Libris Group’s flagship ALEPH® 500 and Voyager® integrated library solutions are in use at over 3,000 sites worldwide. Other products from the Ex Libris suite, deployed at more than 1,300 sites, focus on the digital library and offer state-of-the-art, user-centric solutions for managing and providing informed access to electronic resources and digital assets.
