SFX Tuning Sub-Group

Objectives

To investigate ways of improving SFX menus to a) provide ways of returning to a menu and providing feedback while b) enabling a direct link wherever possible to the best available single target.  The goal is to make SFX more user-friendly, reducing the number of clicks a user needs to make, and the amount of reading/decision making required.

 1.  SFX integration with RACER -- Ryerson is now testing this with ILL staff.  Any feedback that comes in through the SFX menu relating to the RACER service will be collected along with staff feedback.  FAQ is underway.  The other piece of this is to link to some information/instructions about Registering for RACER as most schools still require each individual user to create a RACER account.

2.  Display logic rules and Target Ranking. -- Fewer choices and clickthroughs to get to full text.  Other institutions have undoubtedly ranked their full text targets in terms of the linking level, quality of full text (i.e. pdf vs. html), reliability/stability (i.e. JSTOR vs ProQuest).  We should take advantage of the work that has been done elsewhere.  It would be worthwhile to collect other institutions' display logic information if possible and identify fits with consortially licensed products.  If this is not possible, we could do our own overlap analysis and ranking to create rules that could be utilized by others in OCUL.  This should improve the quality of direct linking for institutions who have turned that option on.

3.  Direct Linking menu frame -- As of the March revision, Ex Libris offers 'DirectLink Menu banner' with links to view menu, report problems, or hide the frame.  SFX User Guide part 1, section 7.2.7.   This is important if the content is not found by the user and they need help.  We will check to see if anyone has implemented this, and if there is any user feedback available.

4. Getting help and reporting problems on SFX menus -- how do other schools provide this mechanism?  Is it buried?  Do people keep their SFX menu window open and know that the option is there?  Is this promoted in library instruction?  How can we make it easier for people to get help accessing full text via SFX?

Members

Kate Davis, SPOT

Dana Thomas, Ryerson