May 25, 2005
London, UK
Ex Libris UK, the University of Birmingham, and Queens University Belfast announced today that, following a detailed evaluation of the market, the libraries of these two prestigious institutions have decided to integrate the award-winning Ex Libris MetaLib® and SFX® metasearch and linking technologies with their Talis library management systems.
This collaboration will build on the work by the John Rylands University Library at the University of Manchester in integrating SFX with the Talis library system, and will pioneer the integration of Talis with the market-leading metasearch tool from Ex Libris.
In addition to the service to the university community, Queens University Belfast will roll out solutions based on MetaLib and SFX to health-service workers in Northern Ireland. These solutions include services tailored to the needs of Health and Personal Social Services (HPSS) staff members, who will access the services via an enhanced Health on the Net Northern Ireland (HONNI) gateway.
Elizabeth Traynor, Assistant Director of Library Services and Research Support at Queens University Belfast, said: We look forward to strengthening Queens Library service to both the University and HPSS users. Members of the University will benefit from proven technology that uses the librarys expertise to direct users toward the resources appropriate to their specific research needs and enables them to access relevant and reliable information sources with the minimum number of mouse clicks.
The HONNI electronic library gateway to all databases, electronic journals, and other electronic resources available to health professionals in Northern Ireland will be further enhanced by the addition of MetaLibs federated searching facilities, and SFXs context-sensitive linking tools.
Ruth Jenkins, Assistant Director, Learning and Research Support Division at the University of Birmingham, commented: “Library services are an integral part of the University of Birminghams strategy to enhance its position as a top-level research-driven institution. A key part of this strategy is to save researchers from ‘information overload’, by implementing Ex Libris tools for directing researchers to top quality information.
Another key driver in our decision was that Ex Libris products contain facilities for ensuring interoperability with other systems and workflows at the University, including the University portal and VLE software. We are excited to be implementing the market-leading technology in this regard.
Julie Booth, Managing Director of Ex Libris (UK) Ltd, said: “We are pleased that such important institutions as Queens University Belfast and the University of Birmingham have selected MetaLib and SFX, so soon after the successful integration of SFX with the Talis catalogue and other electronic resources at John Rylands University Library at the University of Manchester. Both Queen’s and Birmingham have a history of being at the forefront of research and development in library and information services, and we look forward to working with them in further developing their end-user services.”
About the University of Birmingham:
One of the worlds top 100 universities, the University of Birmingham boasts 32 research areas rated at the highest levels by the UKs Research Assessment Exercise, and is the fifth most successful university in the UK for research excellence. Birmingham is a founding member of Universitas 21, an elite group of top research universities throughout the world.
The University is one of only 25 European institutions to be awarded the distinction of a Jean Monnet European Centre of Excellence by the European Commission in recognition of interdisciplinary expertise in European affairs.
To support research and scholarship, the University has a library of two million books and three million manuscript and archival items, and is investing heavily in state-of-the-art electronic research information retrieval systems.
For further information, please see http://www.bham.ac.uk/.
About Queens University Belfast:
Queen’s University Belfast is a broadly based, research-driven university with an international academic reputation. With more than 24,000 students, it plays a pivotal role in the life of Northern Ireland through its contribution to the professions, arts and culture, social development, and economic prosperity. The University’s track record of achievement is reflected in a significant number of new initiatives, which see the development of world-class centres of research excellence across the full range of disciplines, including cancer studies, telecommunications, sonic arts, climate research, and governance.
Queen’s is currently investing £200 million in its staff, students, and facilities to secure its role as a centre of excellence at the heart of the local community. This investment underpins the University’s vision to build a world-class research and education portfolio, to create strong international connections to advance knowledge, and to embrace fully its leadership and public service role in Northern Ireland and further afield.
For further information on Queens University Belfast, please see http://www.qub.ac.uk/.
About HONNI (Health On the Net Northern Ireland):
Health On the Net Northern Ireland (HONNI) is a gateway to health information provided by the Medical Library at Queen’s University Belfast. The Medical Library is the central library for all Health and Personal Social Services (HPSS) staff in Northern Ireland. HONNI exists to provide an electronic library gateway to all the electronic resources available to health professionals in Northern Ireland. This service will be further enhanced by the addition of MetaLib metasearching facilities, and SFX context-sensitive linking tools.
For further information on HONNI, please visit http://www.honni.qub.ac.uk/.
About Ex Libris:
Ex Libris is a leading worldwide developer and provider of high-performance applications for libraries, information centres, and researchers. The ALEPH integrated library solution from Ex Libris has been installed at over 1250 sites in 51 countries. MetaLib, the information portal for library collections, and SFX, the context-sensitive linking server for heterogeneous electronic resources in the scholarly information environment, have been adopted by more than 831 institutions in 36 countries. DigiTool, a solution for constructing digital collections, and the new Verde electronic resource management (ERM) system round out the Ex Libris product suite.
