Syndetic Solutions trial in WorldCat Local

OCLC is partnering with Syndetic Solutions to offer trial access to evaluative content such as covert art, reviews and summaries in WorldCat Local.  When enabled, this content will help WorldCat Local users more easily determine which items in search results will fulfill their research needs.

All WorldCat Local libraries in North America (Canada, US, Mexico) Central America, Caribbean, and South America that do not currently purchase content from Syndetic Solutions are eligible to participate in the trial that will continue through June 30, 2010.

Library staff members control access to the trial content in the >My WorldCat.org >User Interface Options section of the Service Configuration module. The new evaluative content is available now in WorldCat Local, but it will not display to users until the option to “Display Syndetics data?” is set to “Show” in Service Configuration.

Evaluative content included in the trial

The trial will surface six new evaluative content elements within the WorldCat Local interface. These elements include:

• Cover Art
• Reviews from Library Journal
• Reviews from Publisher’s Weekly
• First Chapters
• Descriptions / Summaries
• Table of Contents

For the purpose of this trial program, Syndetic Solutions has chosen to feature the six key content elements listed above. At the conclusion of the trial libraries may choose subscribe to these existing elements or add additional elements that include: fiction profiles, find similar titles, series list, first chapters, author notes, awards, Spanish and German content, video & music profiles and reviews from School Library Journal, Booklist, Choice, Horn and Kirkus.

Next steps

The trial of Syndetic Solutions evaluative content in WorldCat Local will continue through June 30, 2010. Following the trial, WorldCat Local libraries may choose to add a subscription to this content to their WorldCat Local subscription for an additional charge.

Contact your OCLC Library Services Consultant for an estimate of the price of this add-on purchase for your library.

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