News from Endeavor

News from Endeavor

National Library of Scotland and Univeristy of Edinburgh select ENCompass for digital collection management

Endeavor Information Systems has announced that the National Library of Scotland (NLS) and the University of Edinburgh Libraries have selected the ENCompass system for managing, searching and linking digital collections. Both libraries are current users of Endeavor's Voyager integrated library management system. The two libraries aim to take advantage of the capabilities of ENCompass for federated searching of all materials including electronic journals, digital collections and the library's OPAC. Both are also pleased to share talent and collaborative ideas locally, as both are located in Edinburgh.

"We wanted a system that would manage an increasing number of digital resources and provide integrated access regardless of where items are located", said Fred Guy, Director of’Information and Communications Technology for the National Library of Scotland. "Digital resource discovery is a most important aspect of the library's provision of services for learners and researchers."

"ENCompass was much more fully functional in development of digital presence, rights management and presentation", said Guy about the library's thorough search for an appropriate digital system. The NLS has been digitising material for some time using both its own resources and external funding and ENCompass will provide unified access to those collections. "Digitising materials is clearly the way to make these items available to everyone in the world that is interested in them and ENCompass is the key for that access", Guy said.

"We are certainly very keen to provide federated resource access as soon as possible", said Sheila Cannell, Acting Librarian for the University of Edinburgh Libraries. "We think our users need to be able to have merged access to e-journals. It's difficult for academics and learners to know what is available and to know what the resources mean." Cannell explained that often users do not realise the library is the funding source for electronic journals; the University of Edinburgh Library hopes that providing a framework for federated access through ENCompass could help brand access to e-journals to the community, so that they recognise who is paying for the access.

ENCompass is also key for digital collection management at the University of Edinburgh Library, ensuring valuable historical collections are accessible over time. Like the NLS, the university is digitising some of its own resources. A 2002 fire in the library destroyed the university's artificial intelligence collection comprising a 40-year archive of the subject. While the library is rebuilding the collection through donations, the main response is to re-create much of the knowledge, particularly that created in the University of Edinburgh such as research reports and theses digitally.

"ENCompass is truly a multi-functional system for many libraries such as the University of Edinburgh and the National Library of Scotland. The libraries can achieve their strategic goals by taking advantage of the electronic resource access capabilities, digital collection management functionality and the link resolution", said Sara Randall, Endeavor Manager of Digital Library Product Management.

Purdue University and Endeavor develop ENCompass integration for WebCT Vista

Purdue University Libraries (PUL), Endeavor Information Systems and WebCT have announced the development of integration between the ENCompass system for managing, searching and linking diverse collections and WebCT Vista, the industry's first academic enterprise system. The result of this integration will be that library resources can be accessed in a familiar and comfortable environment and it will be easy for faculty to provide quality library resources as part of their online course setting.

"We see how much students search the Internet and use Google", said Associate Dean Cheryl Kern-Simirenko, Purdue University Libraries. "We certainly have been desirous of giving students this same ease of access, but with academic content that we license for the users – information that is germane, important and expensive – the information that's lacking when users search the Internet."

PUL were also concerned with the implications of the recent TEACH (Technology, Education and Copyright Harmonisation) Act. "We need to limit access for e-reserve content, and to only people in a particular course. Now a single login to a WebCT course will authenticate the user for e-reserve access", said Kern-Simirenko. This ensures that authorised people are accessing the content and strengthens Purdue's enforcement of the TEACH Act.

"Implementing ENCompass will be a major step forward in the libraries' efforts to create seamless, user-friendly access for the Purdue community", said Emily R. Mobley, Dean of Libraries.

"Endeavor knows libraries are very interested in the one-stop shopping provided by the integration of ENCompass and campus e-learning systems such as WebCT Vista", said Marianne Parkhill, Endeavor Director of Product Management. "The open architecture of ENCompass is ideal for the continuing integration with the technology tools many campuses are already using for their community-wide information needs."

"Having convenient, secure access to educational content is a key objective of many’of our customers in higher education. The interface between WebCT Vista and ENCompass provides an important extension to the advanced content management capabilities of our academic enterprise system", said Karen Gage, Vice President of Marketing, WebCT. "With this latest innovation, Purdue continues to lead the way in providing an exceptional learning environment for its students and faculty."

Endeavor Information Systems, based in Des Plaines, IL, was founded in 1994. A wholly owned subsidiary of Elsevier, Endeavor offers a complete line of library solutions for traditional and digital collections.

WebCT (www.webct.com) is based in Lynnfield, MA and provides a highly flexible e-learning environment that empowers institutions across the educational spectrum with the ability to achieve their unique objectives. Thousands of colleges and universities around the world – from community colleges to large university consortia, have standardised on WebCT to expand the boundaries of teaching and learning.

For further information please contact: Endeavor Information Systems Inc., 84 Theobald's Road, London WC1X 8RR, UK. Tel: +44(0) 20 7611 4500; Fax: +44(0) 20 7611 4501; E-mail: info@endinfosys.com; URL: www.endinfosys.com