www.swansea.ac.uk

Metalib – dead or alive?Results of the 2013 Metalib User Survey

Andrew Brown

www.swansea.ac.uk

Brief introduction

“Daddy works around the corner, on the beach, and in the University and he helps students to find books”

“Daddy works in the library with computers”

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An unrivalled location

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Swansea – the city by the sea• Population: 229,100• Rich industrial and maritime heritage• Vibrant cultural scene • 4 “Green Flag” parks• 5 “Blue Flag” beaches• Fifth safest places to live and study (2009 Complete University Guide)• The Gower Peninsula – the UK’s

first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty• The Brecon Beacons

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The UK’s first campus university

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Our community

2,510 staff

15,921 students• 13,759 undergraduates• 2,162 postgraduates

Swansea delivers courses at 87 venues in the region

Swansea was the first Fairtrade university in Wales.

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• Provide and overview of the Metalib user survey and its results

• Use the survey to initiate a short debate about Metalib and its future from a customer perspective

Aims

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By the end of the session I hope that you will;

• Understand the survey and its results

• Have a view as a customer on the future of Metalib which will assist your future planning

Objectives

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Creation of the survey

• Survey drafted using Survey Monkey and circulated around IGeLU and ELUNA PWGs in Spring 2013

• Distributed 15th May 2013• Deadline for survey extended and

closed Friday 21st June 2013• Exactly one hundred responses

Discussed by IGeLU Primo/Metalib Product Working Group (PWG) initially early in 2013

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Question 1

Your institution or organization name

• Not optional

• Anonymity chosen by some

• Of value in following up responses

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Question 2 (Part 1)

As a metalib customer, how do you currently provide access to remote searching? Select more than one answer if required.

57% Metalib ‘Classic’22% MetaLib+45% Metalib via Primo18% Another interface

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Question 2 (Part 2)

Why do you use the interfaces of the above mentioned products?

• Practicality• Usability• Flexibility• Consolidation

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Question 3 (Part 1)

Our current plans with MetaLib are...

48.9% No plans to change4.5% Moving to MetaLib+12.5% MetaLib via Primo6.8% Moving to Primo

without MetaLib27.3% Other plans

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Question 3 (Part 2)

What are your reasons for your choice?

• No plans• Stability• Economics• Happy!

• Other plans• Service Review• Retire MetaLib

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Question 4

If you are only using the MetaLib 'classic' interface, please go to question 5. What MetaLib features from the 'classic' interface are missing from your current interface?

• Some issues• Never used ‘Classic’

interface• No issues

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Question 5

How do you see MetaLib back office being managed in the future?

26.5% Remain as standalone

73.5% Be integrated into Alma at some point

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Question 6

What do you see as the future of remote search? Federated search, primo central index or something else?

• Indexes

• Hybrid

• Back seat for Federated Search

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Question 7

Finally, do you have any general comments or feedback?

• Support issues• Development of

ExLibris federated search

• Product knowledge• Thanks

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High noon for Metalib?

Is MetaLib coming to the end of its useful life…

…or does it have a future?

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Alas, poor MetaLib! I knew him…

• Switched off

• Cancelled

• Replaced

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Long live MetaLib!

• New life in new interfaces

• Aggregated indexes still developing

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Thanks and questions

Andrew BrownSwansea University

a.t.brown@swansea.ac.uk

Twitter: @brownatwork

Former Swansea University student Alun-Wyn Jones, Wales International rugby