New resource: Trend Report 2007

The networked CD-ROM Trend Report 2007 has been added to the eSearch Categories Art & Design > Applied Design, Fashion, Fashion + Textile Management and Business and Management > Marketing; and the corresponding sections of the subject web portal. The resource is described as follows:

Trend Report 2007 is a 300+ page PowerPoint presentation with text, graphics and notes, which details updated and new consumer trends, and how brands are using them.

Changes to the Wilson Art database profile

Access to the Art Full Text service has now been restored on the HW Wilson platform. To bring our listings for the Wilson art resources back in synch with that used by the providers, ‘Art Abstracts and Art Full Text’ has been renamed in our resource discovery environment as Art Full Text. In a further change, on-campus access to both Art Full Text and Art Retrospective is now direct (with an Athens username and password still required for off-campus access). Updates have been made to eSearch and the subject web portal to reflect these changes.

eResources update – network CD-ROM access restored

Access to all networked CD-ROMs via the direct links in eSearch and the subject web portal are now working normally once more.

If you continue to experience any problems accessing any CD-ROM titles, please let eServices have the details and we’ll investigate.

eResources update – network CD-ROM access problem

A technical problem is preventing access to all networked CD-ROMs from both on- and off-campus. Neither direct links nor the ICA Client alternative access route are functioning.

The following error message displays in response to access requests from eSearch and the subject portal:

eServices is investigating and will update as soon as we have more to report.

TESOL Quarterly – now available via JSTOR

Full-text archival access to TESOL Quarterly (from 1967 until 2001) is now available via the JSTOR collection. For this reason, it is planned to withdraw the TESOL Quarterly networked CD-ROM (which provides full-text for 1967-2000) in due course – following ALT consultation over timing.

Art Full text – access unavailable

Access is currently unavailable to the Art Full Text database on the Wilson Web platform – with only the Art Retrospective database available for search selection. Liaison with technical support at Wilson is underway and it is hoped to be able to re-establish access shortly.

In an unrelated development, it should soon be possible to offer direct access to the Wilson Web databases for on-campus users.

New resource trial: International Law in Domestic Courts

Trial access has been set up for the International Law in Domestic Courts database. Access is direct on-campus; although no off-campus access is provided during the trial. Access is available through eSearch > eResource trials > Active trials. The resource is described as follows:

A regularly updated repository of domestic cases in international law from over 60 jurisdictions. The selected cases feature expert commentary, full texts of judgments in their original language and translations of key passages of non-English judgments into English.

The trial lasts until 23 February 2007, and any feedback on the resource can be sent to Terry Hanstock.

ALEPH Web OPAC, further problems with enhanced content (Syndetics)

We’ve encountered response time problems with Web OPAC this morning which seem to be linked to the enhanced catalogue content (Syndetics), i.e. the additional information pop-ups. As a temporary measure we’ve turned off this functionality to enable OPAC to work.

We’re investigating the cause and will report again when we have more news.

Library Catalogue – ‘enhanced’ records re-enabled

Following diagnostic work involving LLR, IS and Syndetics, the ‘enhanced’ catalogue record service has been re-enabled in the library catalogue – meaning that book covers will display in the ‘Full View of Record page’ (where these are available from Syndetics), providing links to an ‘Additional information’ pop-up screen.

The performance of the catalogue will be monitored closely today, but if you experience any problems with the slow response times, or any other OPAC difficulties, please let the eServices team know so that we can investigate the issue further.

Library Catalogue – problem affecting ‘enhanced’ records returned

A different problem affecting the Syndetics service has arisen this morning, which has been leading to very slow response times in building the ‘Full View of Record’ page in ALEPH (which was having a knock-on effect in the performance of the library catalogue as a whole).

Until we are certain of service stability from Syndetics, we have temporarily disabled the Syndetics service (so no book covers will display in the OPAC). Switching off the Syndetics service has had an immediate beneficial effect on the catalogue’s response times.

We will update again when we have more.

Library Catalogue – problem affecting ‘enhanced’ records resolved

The problem affecting the Syndetics catalogue enhancement service within the Library OPAC was resolved later yesterday afternoon.

If you encounter any further instances of this issue, please send the eServices team some sample ISBNs for records for which problems are persisting and we’ll investigate further.

Library Catalogue – problem affecting ‘enhanced’ records

An intermittent problem is currenly affecting the Syndetics catalogue enhancement service within the Library OPAC.

This means that in the ‘Full View of Record’ screen, book covers (where these are available from Syndetics) are not displaying consistently, and links from a book cover to the ‘Additional Information’ pop-up window are not always connecting correctly.

eServices is investigating the problem and will update as soon as we have more information to report.