NAVIGATE THE UA LIBRARY STORY

• About the University of Arizona and UA Library
• Subscribed Serials Solutions Services
• Using 360 MARC Updates as an Entry-Point for e-Resources
• Full Text Access and Management with 360 Link
• Implementing and Integrating 360 Search
• Easy for Patrons to Use, Easy for Librarians to Customize
• Hosted Services Offer Fiscal and Philosophical Benefits for UA
• Learn More

"We've taken advantage of the customization options that allow us to match the look of our Web site and add local information. We've been able to create a seamless searching experience that addresses the needs of all of our patrons, from the super-searcher to the first semester undergrad."

Tom Marshall, UA Libraries Cataloging and Metadata Librarian

About the University of Arizona and UA Library

The University of Arizona is a premier, student-centered research institution, established in 1885 as the first university in the Arizona Territory. Now in its second century, the UA is one of the nation's top 20 public research institutions, serving 40,000 plus faculty, staff and students. University Libraries and the 400 plus staff support the research environment, provide space for investigation and study, and ensure that the information keeps flowing. As an ARL institution, the University of Arizona Libraries maintain over 5,000,000 volumes in its print collection, and add around 80,000 volumes each year. While line items for print materials have been relatively stable over the past five years, spending on electronic resources has steadily increased, reaching $4,700,000 in 2006, representing nearly 40% of the materials budget. Demand for greater access and discovery is expected to keep growing as well.

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Subscribed Serials Solutions Services

• 360 MARC Updates
• 360 Link
• 360 Search
• AMS

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Using 360 MARC Updates as an Entry-Point for e-Resources

As a first step, the library subscribed to Serials Solutions MARC Updates to complete an e-journals cataloging project that staff had previously begun internally. CONSER-quality records from Serials Solutions 360 MARC Updates ensured UA would receive the most complete access possible, with maintenance provided by Serials Solutions. This relieved staff of this tedious process while providing greatly increased discovery points for patrons. Serials Solutions currently maintains 46,297 electronic serial records for the University of Arizona Libraries, leaving cataloging staff free to focus on other technical and customer services needs.

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Full Text Access and Management with 360 Link

In 2004, the library implemented Serials Solutions 360 Link. With ties to the Serials Solutions A-to-Z title list, patrons were given the tools and pathways to quickly find and access specific titles and full-text content, and library staff had a resource that allowed for efficient, customized control of their electronic collections, including aggregated databases. 

The tools that are a part of AMS also gave library staff a complete picture of e-journal and electronic resource usage that was previously unattainable, making it possible to base collection management decisions on facts, not guesswork. In 2006 there were over 208,000 hits on the library's A-to-Z list, a testament to its reliability and popularity with patrons.

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Implementing and Integrating 360 Search

In May 2006, University of Arizona Libraries contracted with Serials Solutions to implement the 360 Search federated search product.

Marshall jokes, "It took longer for us to fill out the forms than it did for Serials Solutions to turn the project around! We provided a list of 426 databases, which includes Web sites, library catalogs and electronic resources, and Serials Solutions was able to provide connections to over half of those immediately." When 360 Search went live in September 2006, there was zero negative feedback.  Marshall reports, "By mid-September, the 360 Search "quick search" box on the library's home page had over 10,000 hits, and that number continues to grow as patrons realize its benefits."

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Easy for Patrons to Use, Easy for Librarians to Customize

Ease of use and understandable results topped the list of features and benefits that University of Arizona felt were most important when they selected Serials Solutions 360 Search. The ability to distribute 360 Search to departmental or course Web pages has allowed the library to create subject-specific resource lists, making it easier for patrons to narrow searching to their particular interests and needs.

Staff have created over 90 Subject Guides, each of which includes a variety of links for course home pages, contact information, and finding articles both in print and electronically. Results clustering, which Serials Solutions introduced in November 2006, allows patrons to easily refine the search process.

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Hosted Services Offer Fiscal and Philosophical Benefits for UA

Marshall and his staff also are delighted with Serials Solutions hosted solution, meaning development work and server support resides with the vendor, offloading both support and physical maintenance costs. Software as a Service (SaaS) made sense to the UA Libraries, both fiscally and philosophically. "The goal of our department is to streamline processing by manipulating the available technology to suit our needs. Having to create and maintain all of this locally would have slowed down implementation and added yet another application for us to support," states Marshall. "And it's clear that 360 Search is enhancing the discovery process of faculty, students and staff, whenever they need it, wherever they are."

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Learn More

• Attend a product overview webinar
• See and demo more sample implementations
• Contact us for more information

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