Re: Web Bridge questions

[Bob Duncan <duncanr@xxxxxxxxxx>]

At 09:05 AM 06/25/2004 -0600, Deb Denious wrote:
> We'd like to hear from medium sized libraries who are using WebBridge
> in regards to:
>
> How easy it was to implement and were there any major problems in
> getting it up and running?
>
> How much staff time is involved with creating the resources and
> maintaining the various links?

We're not a medium size public library, but since I haven't noticed other 
responses I thought I'd chime in.

We encountered no major problems getting WebBridge up and running.  The 
answer to the other questions is "it depends".  If you just want to offer 
some basic links from the WebOPAC you can have it functional in a matter of 
minutes.  If you want to customize the product for your user population 
(which is kind of the point of OpenURL resolvers), then it will take more 
time.  If you want to use it to provide resources from remote origins it 
will take a lot more time. How much time in any case depends on how 
compulsive you want to get, what types of resources you want to offer, how 
well implementation staff understand the issues, etc.

> Response from your end users?   Do they love it?  Hate it?

Love it (no question), but mainly for its presence in remote 
origins;  haven't had much feedback regarding its presence in the WebOPAC 
or Millennium modules.  There would be little reason to hate it---if you 
don't like it, you don't use it.

> Would you share your URL so we can take a look at how you are
> presenting the product to your users?

You're welcome to look in our WebOPAC 
<http://www.library.lafayette.edu/screens/opacmenu.html>.  Note that our 
current implementation reflects the fact that our main library is closed 
for renovations and the bulk of the collection is inaccessible, so there 
are WebBridge links that normally would not appear.  (IMO, a nice example 
of how WebBridge is helping us maintain service levels during the ordeal as 
well as a testament to the product's flexibility.)

But the real beauty of WebBridge for us (small academic) is its 
implementation in remote origins, which you won't be able to see.  Although 
it's nice to be able to offer resources from the WebOPAC, the ability to 
offer users links to appropriate resources from an A&I database is great 
(e.g., to full-text, but only when it's actually available; to ILL forms 
with citation information already filled in; to OPAC searches; to 
subject-specific encyclopedias; etc.).

Bob Duncan


~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~
Robert E. Duncan
Systems Librarian
David Bishop Skillman Library
Lafayette College
Easton, PA  18042
duncanr@xxxxxxxxxx
http://www.library.lafayette.edu/