On Mon, Dec 15, 2014 at 11:49 AM, Darylyne Provost <[log in to unmask]>
wrote:

> Thanks so much for your reply. Our patrons currently must choose from our
> combined ILS CBBCat (III's Sierra), which we share with two other colleges;
> three consortial systems, NExpress, MaineInfoNet, and as of tomorrow,
> ConnectNY (all III's INNreach); and then, if they have searched all of
> those systems and not been able to locate/request their item, interlibrary
> loan (WorldCat/Illiad).


You have a number of options, one of which is super low tech and easy to
implement. That option is to create javascript buttons that say "replicate
this search in ...." The javascript then scrapes the address bar to figure
out what kind of search they did and sends it with the correct syntax to
the other catalogs. Super lightweight, very easy to maintain and update,
and people get to search from their home system.

The second option is z39.50 -- assuming that the III libraries purchased
the z39.50 server product and the Koha system has a 39.50 server
configured. This has the advantage over the javascript method of searching
all the systems at the same time, but you have to interpret what comes back
and present it. Note that materials that appear available via z39.50 may
only be available to local patrons because there's no way to distinguish
borrowing privileges remotely.

If z39.50 is not an option, any federated search will be based on screen
scraping which I would not recommend.

The third major option are data dumps into a union catalog that people can
search. This will search nicely, but you have to develop a search interface
and getting real time availability is going to be problematic.

As far as requesting goes, how do patrons request stuff that's not at their
home system? Do they have accounts in the other systems (i.e. can they log
in like regular patrons) or is there a special request screen that
initiates an ILL process?

kyle