Expand Opportunities for Discovery in Ex Libris Alma

3 min read

| By Gale Staff |

When you offer multiple pathways into your library’s resources, you expand opportunities for students, researchers, and faculty to discover the content they need—and drive usage of your digital solutions.

Gale is working closely with Ex Libris Alma to help enhance pathways to discovery. With the signing of a MARC record enrichment agreement, Gale and Ex Libris Alma are partnering to support academic libraries that have access to Gale Primary Sources and Gale eBooks. This agreement enables Ex Libris to load Gale’s records into the Alma Community Zone to make Gale resources more discoverable in Alma.

How Will Gale & Alma Users Benefit?

If your library uses Ex Libris Alma, students and faculty will be able to discover your Gale Primary Sources and Gale eBooks holdings more easily via your library’s catalog.

Explore the additional benefits of the MARC record enrichment agreement below:

  • MARC record enrichment increases the number of identifiers and other entry points to increase access to Gale content via search and discovery platforms and improve link resolution to Gale’s platforms.
  • Full descriptive electronic records allow you to optimize the discovery of Gale content within Alma. Plus, high-quality bibliographic records enable you to access detailed analytics and collection analysis of your library’s Gale holdings.
  • Appropriately coded subject and named headings in bibliographic records make it easier to connect resources to the authority subject and named headings. By enabling easier access to full-text content on Gale platforms, you can create an integrated experience between your library’s catalog and Gale Primary Sources and Gale eBooks.
  • When acquiring Gale Primary Sources and Gale eBooks, you will find that the records have been enriched, enabling you to save time without the need to improve bibliographic records or catalog or load additional descriptive records.
  • Access to full descriptive bibliographic records in the Alma Community Zone allows you to easily manage your Gale Primary Sources and Gale eBooks holdings.
  • Your library’s entire Alma Community Catalog works best when records are enriched with high-quality bibliographic records—this partnership between Gale and Ex Libris Alma ensures that you have the most accurate records for Gale Primary Sources and Gale eBooks.

Not an Ex Libris Alma Customer?

Ex Libris Alma offers an end-to-end solution for libraries to streamline the acquisitions, management, discovery, and analytics of catalogs and collections, including electronic, print, and digital resources. The Alma Community Zone provides a shared environment for all Ex Libris Alma library customers, improving experiences by centralizing access to the following services:

  • A Community Catalog to manage high-quality MARC bibliographic records for electronic resources.
  • A Central Knowledge Base that provides linking and coverage information for electronic resources.
  • Authority Vocabularies to maintain online authorization vocabularies, ensuring secure and streamlined cataloging workflows.

Learn more about Ex Libris Alma, the Alma Community Zone, and MARC records enrichment from Ex Libris.

Looking to expand discovery on your campus with Gale resources? Explore Gale Primary Sources that connect researchers to firsthand accounts of history or Gale eBooks that offer comprehensive insights into diverse topics.

If you have questions about the MARC record enrichment agreement or how to improve the discovery of Gale resources via Alma, please contact Magaly Bascones, Gale’s product manager of discovery and usage, at [email protected].

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