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Frequently Asked Questions
For the latest news about Talis Source, visit www.talis.com/source, or access the Talis Source forum via www.talis.com/forums. Alternatively, call 0870 400 5000 and ask to speak to a member of the Talis Source team, or send an email to source@talis.com.
What are the benefits of Talis Source?
How do we access free resource discovery?
Why contribute our holdings to the Talis Platform?
Who owns the data that I contribute?
What happens to our data after we have contributed?
I’m a Talis Library Management System (LMS) customer how do I contribute?
I don’t have Talis Library Management System (LMS) and have difficulty contributing, can you help?
Can we use free resource discovery using own request management tool?
How do I gain the request functionality in Talis Source?
Can we limit the number of interlending requests that we receive?
Why have Talis decided to use a Union Catalogue rather than Z39.50 federated searching?
What is Talis Source
Talis Source is a free resource sharing and inter-library loan service which uses one of the largest UK Union Catalogues.
What are the benefits of Talis Source?
Talis Source provides several benefits by removing the barriers that restrict participation in a resource sharing and inter-library service. More specifically, Talis Source provides:
- Choice : Talis Source doesn’t require a particular request management tool; you choose the tool that suits your needs.
- Value: Talis Source is completely free. There is no charge for discovering or contributing data.
- Freedom: Every library is entitled to participate in Talis Source.
- Simplicity: The Talis Source interface is simple to learn, meaning all staff members can start searching and requesting from day one.
How do we access free resource discovery?
There are two steps to gain access to Talis Source.
1. Complete the registration form
2. Contribute your holdings (at no cost) to the Talis Platform.
Why contribute our holdings to the Talis Platform
Provide us with a full catalogue contribution and you cannot only access your own holdings information, but the bibliographic and holdings information of one of the largest UK national union catalogues, free-of-charge. Nearly 200 libraries enjoy free access to the Talis Source bibliographic and holdings catalogue. The data is hosted within the Talis Platform, which is based on an open architecture that any service provider can use.
What does contributing mean
Contributing is the process of supplying a copy of your catalogue holdings to the Talis Platform. The Talis Platform is the underlying data architecture that supports Talis Source.
Who owns the data that I contribute
It is important to remember that you never lose control or rights to the data you contribute. We believe your data is so important that Talis are working with the leading standards bodies to develop new licences that will protect it. A draft is available here. We guarantee that your data remains in your control.
How do we contribute?
There are several ways to make a contribution. Currently, libraries can:
- Transfer files via FTP
- Email holdings to Talis directly
- Send a CD/DVD with your contribution data to the Talis offices
- Transmit ADD/DEL files online
What happens to our data after we have contributed?
Once the data is loaded into the Talis Platform, it will power Talis Source. The Talis Platform isn’t for the exclusive use of Talis products; it is built upon an open structure and can be easily consumed using Application Programming Interfaces (APIs). These enable the resource discovery functionality used by Talis Source to be directly integrated into your LMS or ILL tool.
I’m a Talis Library Management System (LMS) customer how do I contribute?
Contributing to the Talis Platform if you’re a Talis LMS customer couldn’t be easier. We have developed an automated method of harvesting your holdings. It initially takes a complete copy of your holdings then automatically runs every month (or as often as you would like) updating any additions or deletions in your catalogue. If you would like to take advantage of this automated script, or if you are unsure if you have the script, please contact us at source@talis.com.
I don’t have Talis Library Management System (LMS) and have difficulty contributing, can you help?
Yes. We offer expert advice if you experience any problems contributing. We have extensive experience assisting institutions with numerous LMS including Bibliomondo, DS, Endeavor, ExLibris, GEAC/Extensity, Heritage, Innovative, SirsiDynix and many more.
Can we use free resource discovery using own request management tool?
Yes. You can choose which ever request management tool you wish - Talis simply provides access to the holdings from the Talis Platform. Please contact us at source@talis.com for more information or invite your vendor to contact us to discuss the best way to do this on your behalf.
How do I gain the request functionality in Talis Source?
The request functionality in Talis Source available for £500 per annum plus VAT. To gain the request functionality simply complete the following form.
As a new user to Talis Source, you are entitled to a no obligation 30 day trial of the request management tools. If you would like to take advantage of this offer, simply complete the following form.
Can we limit the number of interlending requests that we receive?
Yes. We appreciate that your institute may not actively wish to receive interlending requests or limit the number of requests at certain times. For this reason Talis Source can display the lending status of your institution at three different levels:
- Accepts all interlending requests
- Accepts interlending requests as “lender of last resort”
- Reference only
Why have Talis decided to use a Union Catalogue rather than Z39.50 federated searching?
After careful consideration, we have decided to adopt the Union Catalogue approach to host the resource discovery element of the Talis Platform. Although this method is more labour intensive on our part it offers you the following advantages:
- The search results are returned considerably quicker
- The returned records aren’t duplicated
- The search is more reliable, the service is always available
- It doesn’t put unnecessary load onto your LMS
