Legend: not started IN PROGRESS STALLED decided

Status	IN PROGRESS
Description	This feature has potential implications for eBook collections managed in the NZ and cataloging prioritization decisions (both at SCP and locally).
Decision summary
Owning group	DISC
Approver
Consulted	E-Resources OST; CDL Shared Collections/SCP;
Informed	Resource Management; Resource Sharing OST
Decision-making process	Describe the process your group will use to make the decision.
Priority	High
Target decision date	2023 Q4
Date decided

1 Recommendation
- - 1.1.1 Impact of Change
- 1.2 Background
2 Advantages and Disadvantages
3 Settings that may Impact Exclude eBooks from CDI Results behavior
4 Alternative Options
5 Suggested Testing Strategies
- 5.1 Testing Setup
- 5.2 Types of Electronic Resources to Test
- 5.3 Testing Caveats
6 Additional Information
- - 6.1.1 Ex Libris Documentation
- 6.2 Action Log

Recommendation

From a user experience perspective, Discovery feels the Exclude eBooks from CDI Results is an improvement. However, individual campus collections and configurations may impact the advantages and disadvantages (listed below) of this feature. As a result, Discovery encourages each campus to review the pros and cons we have outlined below and make the decision based on your individual needs.

Impact of Change

Stakeholder group	Impact

Stakeholder group	Impact
End User	Turning on the Exclude eBooks from CDI results will less confusing display of available resources and an overall cleaner look.
Discovery OST	Reduce time needed to communicate confusing Primo VE display to users.
E-Resources OST	Increases uncertainty of why records may not appear in Primo VE and choosing this configuration doesn’t allow for individual exceptions.
CDL Shared Collections	Increases uncertainty of why records may not appear in Primo VE.

Background

Users may see duplicate eBooks records when the eBooks exist in both Alma and CDI electronic collections. In addition to be visually displeasing, users may find it difficult to know which of multiple eBook titles they should click on which results in a negative user experience.

In November 2021, Ex Libris released the ability to exclude eBooks from CDI search results. This feature has potential implications for eBook collections managed in the NZ and cataloging prioritization decisions (both at SCP and locally). The Go Live Discovery group recommended that campuses not enable “Exclude eBooks from CDI Results” until the group had time for additional investigation and discussion.

When the Discovery OST started reviewing this option again, we were once again challenged by how unpredictable Primo VE features interact. This is due to a number of factors including lack of comprehensive documentation and the unpredictable impacts the Network Zone has on individual Institution Zones.

[Two screenshots. One that shows with this setting off and the other with the setting on.]

Advantages and Disadvantages


Description	Exclude eBooks from CDI Results
Advantages	Better user experience Reduces duplicate results which make Primo VE easier to use and more polished looking. If not filtering by availability, reduces the number of overwhelming results where it looks like we don’t have access to anything. Potentially reduces confusion when print information appears on CDI eBooks where we license the electronic collection but not the individual eBook.
Disadvantages	Due to Primo VE’s complexities, it is hard to test every scenario and it is possible that some electronic resources will be unintentionally excluded. In some cases CDI records may have a more extensive summary. However, they may also have missing or incorrect identifiers leading to links appearing for similar but incorrect versions. If not filtering by availability, when the Exclude eBooks from CDI results option is selected, you’ll lose CDI ebook records for unpurchased titles from that collection. If being able to create ILL requests for unpurchased titles is considered desirable, this would be a con for turning on the Exclude CDI eBook setting.

Settings that may Impact Exclude eBooks from CDI Results behavior

[Ideally, I think we should expand how these settings may impact. Though, for some, I think we’re just not sure.]

FRBR/Dedup
If any individual electronic collections has Option 1 (Do not show as Full Text available in CDI even if active in Alma) selected
Filter by Availability

According to an Ex Libris support ticket (06904256) Primo VE uses the CDI record’s metadata rtype to determine if a record is an ebook. You can find the rtype of a record using &showPnx=true at the end of the url.

Alternative Options

This setting (Option 2) has several advantages over Option 1
- It does not require that all campuses agree on whether or not NZ resources should be excluded from CDI.
- Does not exclude chapter-level results which users are now use to seeing

Suggested Testing Strategies

Testing Setup

Types of Electronic Resources to Test

Testing Caveats

If you’re testing in the sandbox, remember to compare against sandbox results. Production and sandbox environments sometimes have different configurations and different electronic collections activated which may impact comparisons between the two.
Examine surprising results for insufficient or incorrect metadata. For example, if duplicates still exist, it may be because Primo VE can’t tell that the duplicates are the same resource.

Additional Information

Initial Phase 4 decision page: DISC (Go Live) Do Not Enable "Exclude eBooks from CDI Results" Feature in Primo VE
Additional Discovery discussion and testing

Ex Libris Documentation

Action Log

Action/Point Person	Expected Completion Date	Notes	Status

Action/Point Person	Expected Completion Date	Notes	Status
Each campus creates a sandbox view for each option.	11/3/2023		Done
Discovery works on initial testing	11/3/2023	The Exclude CDI EBooks does noticeably reduce duplication.	Done
Disc/Eres chairs meet to discuss best way to move forward.	11/13/2023