Ex Libris is pleased to announce the release of MetaLib® version 3. The significant changes in the MetaLib user interface and workflow will set new standards for library portals.

The design of the new version benefits from key input from:

• MetaLib customers, particularly a focus group representing institutions from around the world.
• Usability studies undertaken by a number of institutions
• Staff feedback from hundreds of MetaLib sites
• User-interface research

The MetaLib version 3 library portal is an ideal tool for both novice and expert researchers and incorporates innovative features in the management of result sets, including relevance ranking and automatic merging and deduplication.

Other new features include MetaIndex, a component that harvests OAI-compliant repositories that MetaLib can search along with other library resources. An enhanced authentication module is shared with other Ex Libris applications (ALEPH and DigiTool) and, optionally, with third-party applications also, thus providing the infrastructure for a single sign-on (SSO) environment. Furthermore, MetaLib version 3 offers a greater range of consortial configurations, giving sites more options to meet their specific needs.

“A great deal of progress has been made in MetaLib 3, and I was really pleased to see the incorporation of many suggestions and improvements,” noted one focus group member, Owen Stephens, the e-strategy coordinator at Royal Holloway, University of London. “Our thanks to the team at Ex Libris for their hard work on this.”

Another focus group member who has also followed the development process closely, Janet Chisman, systems librarian at Washington State University, expressed great enthusiasm for MetaLib version 3: “I can hardly wait to get my hands on it!”

“MetaLib 3 ushers in a new era in user-interface design and the workflow for library portals,” commented Jenny Walker, vice president of marketing and business development of the Ex Libris Information Services Division. “In addition to providing a broad range of features, MetaLib facilitates and supports local customization and retains its ongoing focus on interoperability with other systems, including institutional portals and course management systems.”

Recent MetaLib awards include Liverpool John Moores University and Sheffield Hallam University in the UK; the Royal Norwegian Naval Academy; Beijing Normal University in China; and the California Digital Library, Brown University, University of Texas at Arlington, Virginia Commonwealth University, and Virginia Community College System in the United States.

In version 3, Metalib continues to benefit from tight integration with SFX®—the original OpenURL linking server, and MARCIt!—the Ex Libris MARC enhancement service.

About MetaLib

The MetaLib library portal from Ex Libris enables users to access their institution's e‑collections, obtain relevant services, and work in a personalized environment.

With MetaLib, an institution can manage today's hybrid information resources—be they local or remote—under one umbrella. Such resources include, for example, catalogs, reference databases, digital repositories, and subject-based Web gateways. Using the MetaLib portal, library patrons can conduct a metasearch across heterogeneous resources or link to the resources' native interface.

MetaLib provides the optimal infrastructure for both single institutions and consortia and handles authentication and authorization requirements accordingly. Web-based administration tools permit the effective localization, configuration, and maintenance of an institution's full range of information resources. Incorporated in MetaLib is the award-winning SFX technology from Ex Libris. SFX, the OpenURL-compliant linking server, provides users with context-sensitive linking to services that their institution has defined and customized on the basis of its e-collections and policies.

About Ex Libris

The Ex Libris Group is a worldwide pioneer in the field of software solutions for libraries and information centers. With over two decades of leadership in this market, Ex Libris continues to set industry standards by providing real solutions for constantly evolving needs. 2003 was a banner year for Ex Libris, and 2004 is looking great! First-quarter sales have been strong, and new contracts are on the horizon.

ALEPH, the Ex Libris integrated library solution, has been installed at over 1250 sites in 51 countries. MetaLib, the information portal for library collections, and SFX, the context-sensitive linking server, have been adopted by more than 600 institutions in 32 countries. DigiTool, a solution for constructing digital collections, rounds out the Ex Libris product suite. For further information on Ex Libris, please see www.exlibrisgroup.com.