May 22, 2009

Twelve Libraries Launch Encore 3.0

Libraries Implement Ratings, Reviews, New Discovery Features, and More

Emeryville, CA—Innovative announced today that twelve libraries have "gone live" with Encore Release 3.0: Augsburg College (MN); Binghamton University [SUNY] (NY); Greene County Public Library (OH); London Public Library (Canada); University of Hong Kong; University of Nebraska-Lincoln; Westerville Public Library (OH); Yale Law School (CT); Michigan State University; Eastern Kentucky University; Scottsdale Public Library (AZ); and University of Western Ontario (Canada). Key enhancements include improved discovery features, Community Reviews and Patron Ratings, personalization features, as well as a new option for the Encore "look and feel." In addition, Encore Discovery is now available for central catalogs of INN-Reach direct consortial borrowing systems.

Discovery

  • For libraries using Pathfinder Pro or WebBridge, Encore now presents links to library-selected resources based on the user query
  • Location facets have been improved to be sortable and to display "home library" as a first location for logged in users
  • Improvements to "Did You Mean?" to offer better suggestions to users in more contexts
  • New features have been added to the already-integrated Innovative ERM, Content Pro, and Program Registration products to make the discovery experience richer and smoother
  • Internationalization of language facet values
  • New, alternate look & feel for Encore Discovery interface
  • Encore Discovery is now available for INN-Reach central catalogs

Personalization & Participation

  • Patron Ratings and Community Reviews
  • Synchronization of a user's ratings and reviews across Encore and WebPAC Pro
  • "Save to My Lists" feature from Encore and Millennium's WebPAC Pro
  • Export to email

"Encore is pulling far ahead of the field in its ability to bring together different aspects of the online library experience," says Product Manager Rice Majors. "This is due to the size of our development partner community and our rapid iteration development style. Innovative is getting results by focusing on helping libraries meet specific challenges such as integrating local digital collections into a single catalog search."

For more on Encore 3.0 we invite you to visit the websites of any of the implementing libraries or consult www.encoreforlibraries.com for more on the product.

About Encore

The Encore discovery services platform (www.encoreforlibraries.com) transforms how users uncover the rich and varied resources the library has to offer by uniting content, community, and discovery. No matter which ILS a library uses—or its level of development resources or staff expertise—Encore provides a reliable solution that makes it easy to offer the latest information technologies. At its core is the Encore Framework developed using modern, Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) software design principles. The Framework supports a suite of robust applications and Web Service offerings that can be tailored to meet the needs of any library. What's more, Encore Services provides a dedicated "Pit Crew" that backs the product with single-day, in-library installation, hosted options (SaaS), and more. With Encore, it's all right here.