The Ex Libris Implementation Team continues to keep busy with a variety of initiatives, projects, and issues. Here are some highlights:
Library Mobile
Over 1,000 patrons have downloaded and registered their Library Mobile app as of mid-October. Weekly drawings are occurring to award swag and gift cards to students who register and respond to Quick Polls. Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, and we are excited to grow our user base even more. Representatives from the Rutgers Library Mobile implementation team presented on the app and our implementation process at the Ex Libris Northeast User Group (ENUG) conference on October 21.
Post Implementation Review
Over the course of FY23, representatives from the Implementation Team will lead a post-implementation review of each of their functional areas. During this process, we will review current backend Alma workflows in an effort to identify areas where improvement is necessary or desired. Once identified, we will prioritize issues for deeper analysis and potential solution implementation. We encourage everyone working with Alma to participate in this process and to reach out to your Implementation Team Representative with any ideas for areas that could use improvement.
Chosen Name
Starting October 17, a chosen/preferred name provided by students, faculty, and staff began appearing in Alma patron records in place of the patron’s legal first name. The chosen name is being used in QuickSearch once a patron has signed in and in any email communication from the Ex Libris platform. For more information on managing your chosen name at Rutgers, please visit the University Inclusion and Equity site.
ReShare Update
The version updates performed by Index Data on October 2 resulted in many issues that continue to disrupt processes at all PALCI member institutions. While some bugs have been resolved, Index Data continues to address the outstanding issues. Most of the interruptions are specific to the staff interface, but we have been able to continue receiving items with manual intervention. However, patron notifications are currently suspended. As a result, patrons are not receiving emails confirming their request or notifying them of a failed request. We have requested that an alert be placed on the VuFind landing page so patrons are aware of this suspension. PALCI has done a good job of keeping all members informed with updates. We will continue to monitor progress and share updates as they are available.
Esploro
Q&A sessions were held for library faculty interested in learning more about Esploro’s researcher profiles. Researcher profiles gather and present information about faculty scholarship, activities, and achievements in order to showcase and promote faculty research, facilitate collaboration and identification of experts, attract external funders and industry partners, and enhance institutional reputation. As proof of concept, publication data was imported using Esploro’s smart harvesting technology, and profiles were created and temporarily activated for all library faculty. Q&A sessions were then held to show faculty how to edit and manage their profile and discuss potential benefits, use cases, and configuration options. Library faculty were also invited to take a brief survey to assess the completeness and accuracy of their profile, share feedback, and offer suggestions for improvement.