Ex Libris announces today that the California Digital Library (CDL), University of California, has selected MetaLib as the foundation of its MetaSearch Infrastructure Project. MetaLib joins the stable of Ex Libris products already installed at CDL: ALEPH 500 (Ex Libris' flagship library management system which powers CDL's Melvyl Union Catalog) and SFX (Ex Libris' context-sensitive linking product which underpins the UC-eLinks service ).
From CDLINFO Listserv, May 13, 2004, Vol. 7 No. 9: This issue of CDLINFO is online at: www.cdlib.org/inside/news/cdlinfo/cdlinfo051304.html
MetaLib Selected for Metasearch Infrastructure Project
CDL has completed an agreement with Ex Libris to purchase its MetaLib software for use in the Metasearch Infrastructure Project (http://www.cdlib.org/inside/projects/metasearch/).
The process for selecting the software began in 2002 with a market survey conducted by Christy Hightower and Catherine Soehner at UCSC. The CDL project team then focused on evaluating the most promising products through indepth discussions with vendors, interviews with customers, and assessment against a set of criteria which included functional specifications as well as specific features to support the goals of the project. The ability to support consortial management of target resources as well as the flexibility to create many different metasearch "portals" were key considerations.
The Metasearch project team will be working with Ex Libris over the coming months to install version 3 of the MetaLib software. It will be used first in support of a prototype version aimed at undergraduates for finding "a few good things" with consultation from UCSC and UCLA. UCLA will also participate in developing a version oriented to research use within a specific discipline. Other versions will be used in support of the American West and NSDL grant projects (http://www.cdlib.org/inside/projects/metasearch/nsdl/).
For more information, contact Roy Tennant (roy.tennant@ucop.edu).
About the California Digital Library
The California Digital Library supports the assembly and creative use of the world's scholarship and knowledge for the University of California libraries and the communities they serve. The California Digital Library is the University of California's 11th University library. It was established in 1997 by University of California President Emeritus Richard Atkinson to build the University's digital library, assist campus libraries with sharing their resources and holdings more effectively, and provide leadership in applying technology to the development of library collections and services. Organizationally housed under the UC Office of the President, the CDL operates in close collaboration with all UC campuses and their libraries.
About Ex Libris
Ex Libris is a leading worldwide developer of high-performance applications for libraries, information centers, and researchers. A multinational company, Ex Libris has offices around the world. ALEPH, the Ex Libris integrated library solution, has been installed at over 1250 sites in 50 countries. MetaLibŪ, the information portal for library collections, and SFX, the context-sensitive linking solution for heterogeneous electronic resources in the scholarly information environment, have been purchased by more than 550 customers in 31 countries. The DigiTool solution for constructing digital collections as components of an overall digital strategy rounds out the Ex Libris product suite.