Creating Access for Databases Containing Full Text Titles

Scope: Workflow for setting up access for new databases that contain ebook or journal titles

Contact: Amelia Rodarte

Unit: Electronic Resources & Serials Acquisitions

Date last reviewed 09/07/2023

Date of next review:

These instructions cover how to add access to a database in Ex Libris when that database contains full text ebook or journal titles. (For the purposes of this workflow, databases are resources that are acquired as a database.)

After determining that a database contains ebook and/or ejournal titles (and not citations, or media titles), take the following steps depending on whether the database target is available in Ex Libris yet and whether it already has title-level records in that database. For now, the Ex Libris knowledgebase only supports title-level holdings for ebooks and e-serials (not media e.g. videos). *NOTE: as of 9/7/23, more media titles are included in the 360 KB, but this is not consistent.

If the database is in Ex Libris and already has titles listed, follow step 1, if the database is in Ex Libris but does not yet have the titles listed (0-title) follow step 2, if the database is not in Ex Libris at all follow step 3.

1. Database available in Ex Libris, with titles
   1. If not already received, obtain title data
      1. Look for title list or MARC records on the provider’s website. If not available, request from the provider directly.
      2. Briefly spot-check titles and URLs for accuracy and functionality.
      3. Attach title list to Trello card on ‘New Databases’ Board.

1. 1. 1. Save title list to Title Lists shared folder: L:\ElectronicResourcesSerialsAcquisitions\Title Lists
   2. Find database in Ex Libris knowledge base.

1. 1. Attempt title list reconciliation. 
      1. Databases containing ebooks and journals: titles should have reliable identifiers, make an attempt.
      2. Databases containing primary sources: titles are less likely to have reliable identifiers. If there are identifiers, make an attempt at reconciliation.
      3. Databases containing streaming media: titles may or may not be available in the KB. if there are media titles, check for identifiers and make an attempt at reconciliation. 
   2. Spot-check titles in database against title list (click titles on right side navigation for list of titles):
      1. Briefly spot-check titles for accuracy and URLs for functionality

1. 1. If database is not yet subscribed, subscribe to the database and select the 360 MARC option
      1. Click the edit button at top right, select ‘subscribed’ in the status dropdown box, and check the 360 MARC updates box.

1. 1. Notify Lib-Collections, Law-REFLIB and Ford Library that a new database is available.
2. Database available in Ex Libris, as 0-title (but should have titles)
   1. When you search Ex Libris for the database, you’ll find the database in there, but no titles:

1. 1. If not already received, obtain title data
      1. Look for title list or MARC records on the provider’s website. If not available, request from the provider directly.
      2. Briefly spot-check titles and URLs for accuracy and functionality.
      3. Attach title list to Trello card on ‘New Databases’ board.

1. 1. 1. Save title list to Title Lists shared folder: L:\ElectronicResourcesSerialsAcquisitions\Title Lists
   2. Submit ticket to Ex Libris, attaching title data, requesting that they add the titles to the database. Copy provider contact onto Ex Libris ticket when possible.
   3. Once the titles have been added to the appropriate database:
      1. Perform title list reconciliation (see above)
      2. Briefly spot-check titles for accuracy and URLs for functionality
   4. If database is not yet subscribed, subscribe to the database and select the 360 MARC option
      1. Click the edit button at top right, select ‘subscribed’ in the status dropdown box, and check the 360 MARC updates box.

1. 1. Notify Lib-Collections, Law-REFLIB and Ford Library that a new database is available.
      
      1. Note: Lists may be notified of the new database prior to availability of title level access, stating the following conditions:
         1. database is accessible via database search interface
         2. title-level MARC records forthcoming (requested from content provider)
            1. TRELLO TO DO: If MARC records are not immediately available, notify selector that database access has been setup, then add due date to Trello card on ‘New Databases’ Trello board w/ step of following up/notifying selector/Lib Collections once title level data is available
2. Database not available in Ex Libris
   1. You search Ex Libris for the database and it’s not in there at all.
   2. If not already received, obtain title data
      1. Look for title list or MARC records on provider’s website. If not available, request from the provider directly.
      2. Briefly spot-check titles and URLs for accuracy and functionality.
      3. Attach title list to Trello card.

1. 1. 1. Save title list to Title Lists shared folder: L:\ElectronicResourcesSerialsAcquisitions\Title Lists
   2. Submit ticket to Ex Libris, attaching title data, requesting that they create the database using the attached list. Copy provider contact onto ExLibris ticket when possible.
   3. Once the titles have been added to the appropriate database:
      1. Briefly spot-check titles for accuracy and URLs for functionality
   4. If database is not yet subscribed, subscribe to the database and select the 360 MARC option
      1. Click the edit button at top right, select ‘subscribed’ in the status dropdown box, and check the 360 MARC updates box.

1. 1. Notify Lib-Collections, Law-REFLIB and Ford Library that a new database is available.

Additional Guidelines

• See the Ex Libris Knowledge Base Database Examples wiki page for examples of other database scenarios.
• Title lists and title-level records
  • if available at provider’s website, consider it to be reliable, unless there’s evidence to suggest otherwise
  • if not available at provider’s website, it may not have been released yet; request title list from publisher
  • While it is usually more effective in the short term to work directly with Ex Libris and the provider or coordinate their communications, we should encourage them to work with each other. This boilerplate/info on the NISO Open Discovery Initiative may be helpful:
    • It’s crucial for content providers to work directly with discovery services in order to facilitate accurate and timely metadata transfer which will then drive product usage. Has XYZ provider completed the NISO Open Discovery Initiative checklist? (https://www.niso.org/standards-committees/odi) Do you have resources dedicated to ensuring your metadata meets industry standards?
  • the Ex Libris knowledgebase currently supports title-level records only for journals and books (i.e., not for streaming media, data, or other less common e-resource formats)
    • *NOTE: as of 9/7/23, more media titles are included in the 360 KB, but this is not consistent.

• Title-level URLs
  • when a custom URL is used at database level, title level URLs do not need to be changed (as long as the title-level links lead to the correct content on the correct platform)
    • EXCEPTION: Gale databases require a loc_ID in the URL. Change the custom URL at the database level AND create a holding URL replacement rule to update all title level URLs
  • when the database default URL needs updating, and the database contains journals & books, Ex Libris does not need to also modify the title-level URLs, unless those URLs are not leading to the correct content on the correct platform
    • NOTE: if there should be usable title-level URLs you can request that Ex Libris obtain updated metadata from the provider
  • check ‘Use database-level (custom or default) URL only for all titles in this database’ when titles in database do not have title level landing pages but instead link to the database landing page

• MARC records
  • After title workflow is complete, select 360MARC whenever possible
  • Generally only titles that are journals or books are expected to be in Ex Libris; titles for media are available from certain providers but, at this time, Ex Libris cannot load media records. 
    • *NOTE: as of 9/7/23, more media titles are included in the 360 KB, but this is not consistent.
  • MARC records will generally only be purchased for titles that are not journals or books, e.g., videos
  • there is no need to ensure that the 360 MARC records for tracked resources are loaded into Endeca; that is the responsibility of Resource Description / MADS