EBSCOhost – full-text pdf content unavailable

Head of Discovery and Digital Futures

EBSCOhost’s engineers are investigating a problem which currently appears to be affecting the delivery of .pdf full-text content. While it is possible to search (in the native interface and via eSearch), retrieve results and connect to SFX from all EBSCOhost databases, full-text .pdf requests are failing and delivering ‘page/server cannot be found’ error messages. Where available, full-text .html content continues to be accessible.

The affected databases are:

  • Business Source Premier
  • Regional Business News
  • EconLit
  • TTI
  • PsycARTICLES
  • PsycINFO
  • Academic Search Elite

We will update when we have more information from EBSCO.

ejournal and eBook records to be added to ‘live’ ALEPH this week

Head of Discovery and Digital Futures

During the course of this week, changes will be made to ‘live’ ALEPH to enable ejournal and eBooks to be made discoverable through the OPAC. There may be some very short interruptions in the OPAC service (lasting only a few seconds) while these changes are enacted. Initially, changes to the look of the OPAC record display (identical to those trialled in ‘test’ ALEPH) will be replicated in ‘live’ ALEPH, and eBook and ejournal records will then be loaded and indexed.

All SFX delivered ejournals and eBrary eBook records should be available through the ‘live’ OPAC by the end of the week, with records for Taylor & Francis, Knovel and other eBook providers available shortly after. Updates will be provided as the process progresses.

New resource trial: KnowUK

Head of Discovery and Digital Futures

Trial access to the KnowUK service has been set up in eSearch in eResource trials > Active trials. Access is direct on-campus (with no off-campus access available during the trial). Trial access is available until 25 July 2007. All feedback on the trial should be sent to Terry Hanstock. The resource is described as follows:

UK-specific reference information from over 100 of the most widely used reference publications in the UK. Includes a wide range of guides, directories, registers, yearbooks and other sources across a diverse range of subject areas.

Trials ended: Xreferplus and Routledge Reference Resources – Politics and International Relations

Head of Discovery and Digital Futures

Trial access to Xreferplus and Routledge Reference Resources – Politics and International Relations has now concluded, so these titles have been withdrawn from eSearch. Any remaining feedback on these resources should be sent to Sharon Potter (Xreferplus) and Adele Miller (Routledge Reference). Trial access to the International Who’s Who service concludes on 8 June.

New resources: networked CD-ROM titles

Head of Discovery and Digital Futures

Three new networked CD-ROM titles – Population Statistics 2006; EuroStat Regions year book 2005 and Eurostat Regions year book 2006 have been added to eSearch, the Statistics portal and the database A-Z lists.

HeinOnline: new interface launched

Head of Discovery and Digital Futures

The legal database HeinOnline launched a new interface at the end of May, to support a range of presentational, navigational and functional enhancements. Information for users of the service about the changes can be found here – including a 9min Flash presentation (which includes audio narration). On-campus access URLs to the service have been revised in LLR’s resource discovery environment to match changes on the site. Off-campus access URLs, and SFX links remain unaffected.

Trial concluded: Art Museum Image Gallery

Head of Discovery and Digital Futures

Trial access to the Art Museum Image Gallery has now concluded, and listings for the resource have been withdrawn from eSearch. Any remaining feedback on the service should be sent to Rachel Campbell.

New resource trial: International Who’s Who

Head of Discovery and Digital Futures

Trial access to the International Who’s Who service has now been established in eSearch > Category > eResource trials > Active trials. Access on-campus and off-campus is by a specific username and password (details of which can be accessed by clicking on the [i] information icon next to the database name in the eSearch interface). Access is available until 8 June, and all feedback should be sent to Adele Miller. The resource is described as follows:

The International Who’s Who outlines the lives and achievements of more than 25,000 of the most distinguished men and women from almost every country in the world.

[Please be aware that some on-campus users may be able to access the service directly (by IP recognition, without needing to enter a username and password). The fact that only some users will be able to do this is due to complications in registering a comprehensive IP range for the duration of the trial – hence the use of a username and password alternative. In the event of a subscription, all on-campus access would be direct (by IP recognition), with Athens authentication used for off-campus access].

Networked CD-ROMs updated

Head of Discovery and Digital Futures

The following networked CD-ROM titles have been updated as indicated:

  • APID, now issue 4 2006
  • Croner Road Transport, now February 2007 (says February on CD but January on application interface)
  • Croner Environmental Management Policies & Procedures, now September 2006
  • Croner Health & Safety at Work, now April 2007
  • Croner Catering, now April 2007
  • Croner Practical Food Hygiene, now November 2006
  • Croner Premises Management, now November 2006
  • Croner Reference Book for Employers, now March 2007
  • Croner Reference Book for Self Employed and Smaller Business, now April 2007
  • International GAAP Online, now December 2006
  • Surveyor’s Factbook, now November 2006

Ex Libris products and Windows Vista compliance

Head of Discovery and Digital Futures

Ex Libris have confirmed that the versions of ALEPH, SFX and eSearch (MetaLib) in production at NTU are fully compliant with the new Windows Vista operating system.