Serials Solutions Explained

Serials Solutions
Type:	ERAMS (e-resource access and management services)
Foundation:	2000

Serials Solutions was a division of ProQuest^[1] that provided e-resource access and management services (ERAMS) to libraries. These products enabled librarians to more easily manage electronic resources that serve the needs of their users. Serials Solutions became part of ProQuest Workflow Solutions in 2011 and the "Serials Solutions" name was retired in 2014. In 2015, Proquest acquired Ex Libris Group, a library automation company with many similar products to those of ProQuest Workflow Solutions. The Workflow Solutions division was to be merged with Ex Libris into a new business group called "Ex Libris, a ProQuest Company".^[2]

History

Serials Solutions was conceived in 1999 over beers by brothers Steve, Mike, and Peter McCracken after recognizing that providing relief to the frustrations of library patrons in navigating electronic resources was a profitable domain to pursue.

Serials Solutions was incorporated in March 2000. The business grew from a four-man operation run out of the McCrackens' basement to a multimillion-dollar company in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle, Washington.

During the company's first year of operation, co-founder Peter McCracken worked on this emerging company while simultaneously working full-time as a reference librarian at the University of Washington's Odegaard Undergraduate Library.^[3] In 2009 Peter McCracken, then Director of Research, left the company to pursue technology projects related to his lifelong interest in maritime history, namely ShipIndex.org, a vessel researching site.^[4]

In 2004, Serials Solutions became a division of ProQuest (Information and Learning division). In 2007, ProQuest Information and Learning was acquired by CSA and the Cambridge Information Group and briefly became ProQuest CSA^[5] before the company settled on the original ProQuest name as a "new" brand.^[6] As part of the ProQuest-CSA acquisition, Serials Solutions merged with Ulrich's and became the primary retailer of the Ulrich's services Ulrichsweb.com and Ulrich's Serials Analysis System.

In May 2005, Jane Burke, former CEO of Endeavor Information Systems became the head of Serials Solutions. Burke had already led successful library technology ventures.^[7] Serials Solutions headquarters was located in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle.^[8]

In 2011 Serials Solutions became part of the ProQuest's new Workflow Solutions division.^[9] The "Serials Solutions" name was retired and replaced with the "ProQuest" brand name in 2014.^[10]

Product list

• AquaBrowserDiscovery layer that provides a Web interface and single search box for querying the library catalog and other local library collections; also integrates with 360 Search for discovery of the library's subscribed electronic content^[11]
• The Summon serviceWeb-scale discovery service, described as similar to Google but for accessing a library's academic content.^[12] It provides a single search box for finding all items in a library's collection including books, electronic resources such as e-books, e-journals and academic databases, multimedia items and other holdings.^[13] It executes searches against a database of preharvested content,^[13] preferably by indexing the full text,^[14] and offers the ability to use facets to refine searches by restricting results to properties such as date range or content type.
• KnowledgeWorksRepository of bibliographic metadata for electronic journals, books and other e-resources, maintained and managed by Serials Solutions librarians in partnership with publishers, for use with other Serials Solutions services^[15]
• 360 LinkLink resolver that accepts data that identifies a particular information resource, typically generated by an Abstracting and Indexing database or discovery service and supplied in OpenURL format, and returns a link to the resource in the library's collection if it is available^[16]
• 360 SearchFederated search service that provides a single search facility across multiple separate resources, including individual publisher databases and local holdings in the library catalog; includes the ability to filter to only peer-reviewed journal articles or to only resources for which the library has access to the full text^[17]
• 360 MARC UpdatesService that supplies up-to-date MARC records for e-journals and e-books, allowing those resources to be included in the library OPAC without the library staff having to create those records, update and catalog them^[18]
• 360 Resource ManagerElectronic resource management system for tracking and managing subscriptions, license terms and holdings data for electronic resources;^[19] also available in a Consortium Edition
• 360 CounterService that collects statistics about use of electronic resources from publishers, tracks usage over time, and generates reports and cost analyses so libraries can make better-informed decisions about their electronic holdings^[20]
• 360 CoreFoundational service that consolidates information about all of a library's electronic holdings, and provides tools for access and management^[21]
• UlrichswebOnline and searchable access to Ulrich's, recognized as the authoritative source for bibliographic and publisher information on periodicals;^[22] a reference used by both library users and librarians, that also facilitates linking to full text of articles^[23]
• Ulrich's Serials Analysis SystemAnalysis and reporting system for assessing a library's serials collection, identifying strengths, weaknesses, and serials that can enhance the collection^[24]
• Intota web-scale collection management system aims to address the needs of today's libraries that are still using systems designed for print, while library collections have become increasingly electronic.^[25] It has been described as a total reconceptualization of library management systems,^[26] addressing the complete resource lifecycle including selection, acquisition, cataloging, discovery and fulfillment. It includes the following elements:
  • Unified workflows for managing all types of library resources
  • A new knowledgebase of authoritative metadata, lowering costs for data acquisition
  • Assessment capability that shows how collections are used, demonstrating the value of the library^[27]
  • Interoperability with other systems both inside and outside the library, facilitated through published APIs
• Intota Assessment, a library collection analytics service that is part of the Intota system, debuted in 2013.^[28]

External links

• Serials Solutions corporate website
• ProQuest LLC
• Ulrichsweb.com

Notes and References

1. Web site: About us . Serials Solutions . July 31, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070401140815/http://www.serialssolutions.com/about.html . April 1, 2007.
2. News: ProQuest to acquire Ex Libris . Marshall . Breeding . American Libraries . 6 October 2015 . 7 August 2018.
3. "Peter McCracken: Librarian as Entrepreneur; How a University of Washington reference librarian helped launch one of the hottest companies in the library market", Library Journal, August 01, 2001, Features; Pg. 44, 2287 words, By Norman Oder, Associate Editor, LJ
4. Web site: Serials Solutions Announces Departure of Founder & Director of Research Peter McCracken. Goetz. Christine. 26 August 2009. Press Room. Serials Solutions. 12 September 2013. Seattle, WA.
5. Web site: Press announcement . July 31, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070401142100/http://www.serialssolutions.com/promotion/acq.pdf . April 1, 2007.
6. Web site: ProQuest CSA Finalizes Company Name; Unveils New Logo . June 4, 2007 . ProQuest . July 31, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070714054431/http://www.proquest.com/pressroom/pressrelease/07/20070604b.shtml . July 14, 2007.
7. Jane Burke Joins Serials Solutions; Library automation veteran named general manager and VP for parent ProQuest, Library Journal, July 15, 2005, INFOTECH; Pg. 25, 527 words, By Michael Rogers
8. Serials Solutions Moves, Library Journal, September 1, 2005, INFOTECH; Pg. 27, 52 words, By Staff
9. News: ProQuest Unveils New Organization, Cuts Some Management Positions . Publishers Weekly . 10 November 2011 . 28 January 2016.
10. News: Serials Solutions is now called ProQuest . CIOL . January 21, 2014 . January 22, 2014.
11. Web site: AquaBrowser Becomes Top Discovery Layer for Libraries . July 21, 2009 . ProQuest . July 31, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210619130722/https://about.proquest.com/en/news/2009/AquaBrowser-Becomes-Top-Discovery-Layer-for-Libraries/ . June 19, 2021.
12. Web site: Discovery versus Disintermediation: the new reality driven by today's end-user . Burke . Jane . 2010 . VALA Conference . July 31, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110316054353/http://www.vala.org.au/vala2010/papers2010/VALA2010_57_Burke_Final.pdf . March 16, 2011.
13. Web site: The Impact of Web-scale Discovery on the Use of a Library Collection . Way . Doug . August 27, 2010 . Grand Valley State University . July 31, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220123235329/https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/library_sp/9/ . January 23, 2022.
14. Web site: An Evaluation of Serials Solutions Summon As a Discovery Service for the Dartmouth College Library . November 10, 2009 . Dartmouth College Library . July 31, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100608024005/http://www.dartmouth.edu/~library/admin/docs/Summon_Report.pdf . June 8, 2010.
15. Web site: KnowledgeWorks History . KnowledgeWorks . July 31, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220730105813/https://knowledgeworks.org/about/history/ . July 30, 2022.
16. Web site: 360 Link . SerialsSolutions . July 31, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120225063215/http://www.serialssolutions.com/en/services/360-link . February 25, 2012.
17. Web site: 360 Search . Serials Solutions . July 31, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120225092957/http://www.serialssolutions.com/en/services/360-search . February 25, 2012.
18. Web site: 360 MARC Updates: User Guide . ExLibris Knowledge Center . July 31, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220121060051/https://knowledge.exlibrisgroup.com/360_Services/360_MARC_Updates/0Product_Documentation/360_MARC_Updates%3A_User_Guide . January 21, 2022.
19. Web site: 360 Resource Manager . ExLibris Knowledge Center . July 31, 2022.
20. Web site: 360 Counter . ExLibris Knowledge Center . July 31, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210228044616/https://knowledge.exlibrisgroup.com/360_Services/360_Counter . February 28, 2021.
21. Web site: 360 Core: Getting Started . ExLibris Knowledge Center . July 31, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220120224636/https://knowledge.exlibrisgroup.com/360_Services/360_Core_Client_Center/0Product_Documentation/Introduction/360_Core%3A_Getting_Started . January 20, 2022.
22. Web site: LIS Open Access E-Journal – where are you? . Webology . December 20, 2008 . Taler . Izabella . July 31, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110930020826/https://www.webology.org/2008/v5n4/a62.html . September 30, 2011.
23. Web site: Homepage . Ulrichsweb . July 31, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220725133830/http://ulrichsweb.serialssolutions.com/login . July 25, 2022.
24. Web site: Homepage . Ulrich's Serials Analysis System . July 31, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220330024028/https://www.ulrichsweb.com/ulrichsweb/analysis/ . March 30, 2022.
25. Web site: Intota datasheet . Serials Solutions . July 31, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130220091807/http://www.serialssolutions.com/en/resources/detail/datasheet-intota . February 20, 2013.
26. Web site: Impressions of the new library services platforms – Part 3 – Intota by Serials Solutions . Grant . Carl . October 29, 2012 . Care Affiliates . July 31, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210124002803/http://thoughts.care-affiliates.com/2012/10/impressions-of-new-library-services.html . January 24, 2021.
27. Web site: Assessment: Proving the Library's Value with Serials Solutions Intota™ . Burke . Jane . November 12, 2012 . Serials Solutions . July 31, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121116222131/http://www.serialssolutions.com/en/words/detail/assessment-proving-the-librarys-value-with-serials-solutions-intota . November 16, 2012.
28. Web site: Intota(TM) Assessment Available in 2013 . January 24, 2013 . Reuters . July 31, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140201214452/http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/24/idUSnPre9ZDM9a+11c+PRN20130124 . February 1, 2014.