PALSconnect LINKER and ERM, based on Simon Fraser University’s CUFTS and GODOT open source software, underwent a series of enhancements recently, including the addition of several new reports.

Two new reports were added to the ERM. “Payments by Fiscal Year” is a new report that shows the payment for each database for each fiscal year. The “Resource Usage” report includes the usage statistics for electronic databases and the cost per use of each database. The statistics for this report are collected using the COUNTER standard, whereby database vendors like EBSCO convey to their customers how many patrons are accessing their databases.

For those using or interested in the PALSconnect Linker software, we invite you to a Q & A webinar session on Wednesday, May 2nd, 10:00 am.

We have a couple of topics that we want to share, but mostly we am looking for you to share your questions, comments and suggestions for enhancements for the PALSconnect Linker software.

• Adobe Connect Session: https://umconnect.umn.edu/linker/
• Conference Phone Line: 507-389-1014
• Session Outline with Links: http://www.mnpals.org/forum/index.php?topic=1776.0

Any suggestions for topics can be emailed to perry.madden@mnsu.edu.

CUFTS/GODOT is the open source software powering PALSconnect LINKER and PALSconnect ERM

Dear PALS Abby:

"I see the Minnesota PALS system on the list of CUFTS "partners." Our library is considering using CUFTS (and GODOT) as our journal A to Z list and link resolver. We're a little alarmed at the minimal number of U.S. libraries who are using CUFTS, and are wondering why so few have adopted it. What are the issues??"

Alarmed

Dear Alarmed:

One of our libraries recently reported that while they had successfully set up Google Scholar to work with their instance of PALSconnect Linker last spring, it appeared that it stopped working sometime this fall.

In checking with both the support folks at Google Scholar and our own tech staff, we discovered that we had accidentally blocked Scholar's "crawler" from  harvesting the needed PALSconnect Linker data.

We have fixed the problem on our end, and according to Google Scholar, they will crawl our website sometime in the next week, and once a week thereafter, and the links to PALSconnect Linker should start appearing again in your Google Scholar searches.

UPDATE: We believe the problem described below has been fixed. Please let us know if you are still having trouble creating ILL requests through PALSconnect Linker.

We have had reports of not being able to make ILL requests through PALSconnect Linker. We suspect a recent upgrade to the Linker software is the culprit, but have been unable to nail down what specifically is causing the problem.

We have reported our problem to our support folks at Simon Fraser University, and are working with them to solve the problem as soon as possible.

Perry Madden will continue to update our libraries using PALSconnect Linker in the PALS Forums, specifically http://www.mnpals.org/forum/index.php?topic=1612.0