IPSWICH, Mass. — January 18, 2023 — Libraries in the United Kingdom now have the power to reach their users online by using BiblioGraph, linked data technology from EBSCO Information Services (EBSCO). Participating customers can leverage linked data to enhance their catalogue’s visibility including the borrow option found in Google’s knowledge panels and Google Books.
BiblioGraph is the most recent addition to EBSCO’s linked data-driven technologies and is a direct result of EBSCO’s acquisition of Zepheira in 2020. By transforming a library’s existing data into linked data formats and publishing it to a network, BiblioGraph makes it easier for search engines like Google to find and display library resources in search results. Users can then choose their preferred book format and are taken directly to the library’s catalogue to put the book on hold.
Since integrating with Google in 2017, the impact of these technologies has continued to grow into a global effort. In 2020, Google expanded borrowing options to include even more of their services. BiblioGraph has since connected library catalogues to Google’s knowledge panel in the United States, Canada, and Australia. Now, libraries in the United Kingdom that subscribe to BiblioGraph automatically join thousands of others in a network of linked data that is available to open search websites like Google, linking back to the library and strengthening the possibility of attracting new users and gaining greater overall patronage.
EBSCO Director of Innovation, Richard Burkitt, explains the global impact of Google’s borrow option. “It’s exciting to see library resources being unlocked. At the recent EBSCO Technology Day in London, the attendees got their first glimpse of what it means to be able to search for a book in Google and immediately see borrow options. Following the event, we have had very engaging conversations about how additional libraries contributing their catalogues to the network benefits library users by offering new and relevant access points for information.”
For more information on BiblioGraph, visit: https://www.ebsco.com/products/bibliograph.
About EBSCO Information Services
EBSCO Information Services (EBSCO) is the preeminent provider of online research content and search technologies serving academic, school and public libraries; healthcare and medical institutions; corporations; and government agencies around the world. From research, acquisition management, subscription services and discovery to clinical decision support and patient care, learning, and research and development, EBSCO provides institutions with access to content and resources to serve the information and workflow needs of their users and organizations. For more information, visit the EBSCO website at: www.ebsco.com.
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For more information, please contact:
Erica Gilson
Senior Communications Specialist
978-414-0385
egilson@ebsco.com
