JISC Collections selects EPiServer to create efficient e-resource procurement website for UK librarians

London, 03 August 2010: JISC Collections online presence consolidates its strategy of licensing high quality online resources and saving academic librarians time and money. EPiServer’s solution partner, Cubeworks, worked through the complexity of the project to design a website that enables JISC Collections’ members to discover online resources through a central catalogue, subscribe online and manage their subscriptions though a ‘my account’ feature. As well creating an efficient service for librarians, the use of EPiServer has provided staff at JISC Collections with a flexible and easy to use content management system.

JISC Collections is a membership organisation that procures digital content for education and research in the UK. Using EPiServer CMS web content management software, Cubeworks integrated JISC Collections’ entire administrative and financial system so that JISC Collections editors would not only edit content, but administer the catalogue, subscription information, and manage financial reporting behind a single login. “The system now drives everything we do, it’s at the heart of the organisation and is key to our business,” says Brian Mitchell, Head of Web Services at JISC Collections.

Changing to a new CMS has created improved processes for its customers who can now subscribe immediately to the resources online. Users can place orders with automated confirmation and invoicing, they can check and monitor their online accounts and get reminder alerts during key points in the subscription lifespan.

The site is now easier to browse and users can discover the resources they need by adding useful filters and search options. For example, finding resources by their resource name (including alternative names), or see which ones are free of charge. They can filter the search results by main subject area, academic level and resource type. Resources are then listed in alphabetical order, and users can even choose to display only those resources whose title begins with a specific letter. Agreements for all resources are available in one place making it even easier to search and browse.

Librarians can subscribe to resources online by adding a resource to a shopping basket and proceeding to the checkout. Account owners can also create sub-accounts which allow other members of staff to access their Membership Account and set permissions such as the ability to place subscription orders.

Alex Cowell, Managing Director, Cubeworks comments, “EPiServer was our CMS of choice for such a complex website. JISC Collections was delighted because EPiServer proved to be much more flexible than their old CMS. This is was in part down to the excellent EPiServer Composer module, which allows the client to create their own page layouts in-house; new template creation is probably the most requested maintenance task ever!”

“Using EPiServer has fundamentally changed the way JISC Collections’ website operates. It not only provides an enhanced user experience, it also aggregates content needs and financial management in one stroke,” says Neal Perry, Country Manager, UK, Ireland & UAE, EPiServer. “EPiServer delivers a complete, integrated system to help businesses create an engaging online presence.”