Online content has become the norm in modern libraries, with a large percentage of our collection hosted on vendor-controlled web-based content platforms. Content platforms provide tools for searching, viewing, and interacting with content, and may provide a variety of additional functionality. Vendors continuously strive to improve their platforms, and periodically transition from one platform to another. While new platforms can improve user experience, expand and hone functionality, and increase security, the migrations involve a lot of work and can be disruptive, affecting end-users, librarians, publishers, and service vendors.
Despite the tedious preparation by publishers, vendors, and librarians, content platform migrations are rarely seamless. Due to the complexities involved, a problem-free migration is the exception rather than the norm. The NISO Content Platform Migration Working Group was formed to address these challenges and aims to establish recommended practices and checklists to standardize and improve platform migration processes for all stakeholders involved with online content platforms.
In this session, a librarian and a publisher will share their perspectives on content platform migrations, and the Working Group Co-chairs will describe the group’s efforts to-date and expected outcomes. Our publisher-side speaker will describe issues they must consider when their content migrates, such as providing continuous access, persistent linking, communicating with stakeholders, and working with vendors. Our librarian speaker will describe their experience and steps they take during migrations, such as receiving notifications about migrations, identifying affected e-resources, updating local systems to ensure continuous access, and communicating with their front-line staff and patrons.
Slides (Slideshare)
Recording (YouTube)
Discussion Forum
