Dear Paul, Thank you for explaining your, and OCLC's position. I am wondering how this will work with Serials Solutions, for example. Their records do not have OCLC numbers. The matching algorithm in eSerials Holdings does not always pick up matches with Serials Solutions records, for example Training magazine (Online) has a record in OCLC, but it was not matched with the SerialsSolutions record in our catalog. This means an extra step each month after doing our coverage load to match the records and get the OCLC numbers into the unresolved records in order for them to appear in WorldCat Local. Our initial eSerials holdings report had over 7,000 unresolved records, for example. Is the Knowledge Base going to improve on this situation? Christina Bellinger Christina Bellinger Head, Technical Services University of New Hampshire LIbrary 18 Library Way Durham, NH 03824 603 862-0073 (phone) 603 862-0180 (fax) christina.bellinger@unh.edu -----Original Message----- From: SERIALST: Serials in Libraries Discussion Forum [mailto:SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU] On Behalf Of Moss,Paul Sent: Friday, May 27, 2011 8:38 AM To: SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU Subject: Re: [SERIALST] OCLC eSerials Holdings service vs. OCLC WorldCat Knowledge base Hi. I am the product manager for both the WorldCat knowledge base and the eSerials Holdings program. I would be happy to answer any questions that folks may have about either of the two services (on or off list). It is true that the WorldCat knowledge base will be able to synchronize any holdings set there into the WorldCat database in the Fall. For libraries that use the WorldCat knowledge base, there will not be a need to participate in eSerials (after the fall). The process for setting up each is somewhat different. eSerials should be fairly easy to set up and many of the link resolver systems out there have clear ways to work with it. The WorldCat knowledge base requires some additional work to get it right, because this involves configuring or synchronizing your entire set of electronic resource holdings (both ejournals and ebooks). You also would want to make sure to get dates of coverage correct, which as many of you know, can be somewhat detailed. By doing this, your library gets access to a lot of new features we've been developing such as the direct links out from WorldCat Local and/or the ability to use electronic resources in your resource sharing workflows. Those things are not possible with eSerials. All eSerials does is to set holdings in WorldCat, which most libraries use to influence the ranking of articles and serial search results in WorldCat Local. For the moment, the two services are complimentary, but once we've rolled out the feature to sync knowledge base holdings to WorldCat I expect most libraries will switch to that exclusively. eSerials will be supported for some time for those libraries who have not yet taken up with the WorldCat knowledge base. The WorldCat knowledge base is included with a Cataloging subscription and eSerials is included simply with OCLC membership, which basically means any OCLC product or service qualifies you for it. -- Paul Moss OCLC 614-761-5230 > -----Original Message----- > From: SERIALST: Serials in Libraries Discussion Forum > [mailto:SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU] On Behalf Of Ann Miller > Sent: Thursday, May 26, 2011 5:06 PM > To: SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU > Subject: Re: [SERIALST] OCLC eSerials Holdings service vs. OCLC WorldCat > Knowledge base > > The question came up in a conversation with my OCLC rep a couple of weeks > ago. For now you need both but: > > "The team is currently doing development that will eliminate the need for > the eSerials Holdings service since setting holdings in the WorldCat > Knowledge Base will also set holdings in WorldCat-this is scheduled for > Fall/2011 at the earliest." > > So it sounds as though the eSerials Holdings Service will be eventually be > phased out. > > Ann > > Ann Miller > Head, Collection Services > Knight Library > University of Oregon > 1501 Kincaid St. > Eugene, OR 97403-1299 > aemiller@uoregon.edu > Tel:541.346.3064 > > On 5/26/2011 6:08 AM, Chris Blackman wrote: > > It is my understanding that OCLC would like the OCLC WorldCat > Knowledge Base to eventually replace the need for the eSerials Holdings > Service. I have had many difficulties in the match rate with the eSerials > Holdings Service and the response that I have gotten when trying to figure > out the problem is that low match rate is a "known issue" that will be > corrected by using the KB instead. One answer that I have not gotten > though is whether the eSerials Holdings Service will continue to be > supported after the full implementation of the KB. > > Hope this helps, > > Chris > > > > Christine Blackman > Catalog Librarian > Williams College Libraries <http://library.williams.edu/> > 413-597-4403 > > New Library: Read all about it! > <http://library.williams.edu/newlibrary> > > > On 5/25/2011 2:38 PM, Denise M Branch/FS/VCU wrote: > > Dear fellow Serialisters, > > Are there any libraries that have experience or knowledge of > OCLC eSerials Holdings service and OCLC WorldCat Knowledge base? If you > have OCLC WorldCat Knowledge base, do you need to have OCLC eSerials > Holdings service too? Do these two resources complement each other? What > are the advantages/disadvantages of having both or one or the other? > > Any information you can share on the differences and > similarities between these two resources will be greatly appreciated. > > Best regards, > > Denise > > ************************************************************ > > Denise M. Branch > Assistant Head Acquisitions & Serials Librarian > VCU Libraries > 901 Park Ave / PO Box 842033 > Richmond, VA 23284-2033 > PH: 804-828-6436 > Email: dmbranch@vcu.edu > Fax: 804-828-5672
