Melvyl Central Index Update

CDL staff completed the biannual analysis for potential changes to the Melvyl Central Index configuration targeted for July 2013.  While OCLC has added databases to the Central Index in the past six months, there are no CDL managed licenses with all 10 campuses participating for any of these databases.  Therefore, there will be no changes at this time to Melvyl’s Central Index.

Background

In August 2012, the CDL reported that we would add new databases that had been added to OCLC’s WorldCat Local to Melvyl’s Central Index twice a year.  We said we would:

1. Turn on databases in the Melvyl Central Index that are subscribed by all 10 UC campuses. This makes it workable to keep the databases in sync and results in a minimum of confusion for users. If one campus pulls out of a 10-campus license, CDL will remove that content from the Central Index for all campuses. We will notify the campuses if this occurs.
2. Add databases to the Central Index (those which OCLC has added in the previous six months) two times each year: in June/July and December/January. CDL will use the master list in OCLC’s service configuration tool because it indicates when resources are actually activated, as opposed to OCLC’s spreadsheet, which includes pre-activation information. CDL does not have control of some content that OCLC adds to or deletes from the Central Index. CDL also does not control when a change in vendors causes additions or deletions to the Central Index.
3. Not provide access to databases that are available only via Z39.50 because this method negatively impacts performance and the user experience.

Going Forward

We’ll report again in January 2014.