Jisc launches 'next generation' academic library tools

Not-for-profit firm Jisc has launched three “next generation” library services for the higher education sector, including one that makes academic collections visible through web searches.

The new Library Hub series of tools will be launched on 31st July. The first, Library Hub Discover, makes collections visible to a wider audience through online searches and will feature more than 100 catalogues at launch, with more to come. Based on National Bibliographic Knowledgebase data, Jisc described it as "the most comprehensive aggregation of UK academic, national, and specialist library metadata available".

The Library Hub Compare and Library Hub Cataloguing services have been developed in partnership with global library cooperative OCLC. They will help staff and collection managers analyse or assess their collections, comparing them with others, and download high quality catalogue records for use in their systems. 

Neil Grindley, head of resource discovery at Jisc, said: “We are delighted to introduce these next-generation library services, which will help researchers and librarians locate and manage print and electronic books, journals, newspapers, maps and anything else listed in library catalogues.”