Traditionally, libraries have the possibility to generate statical and generic lists of newly acquired material. This flat list is then distributed among all interested parties or made available on the intranet in the form of an HTML file. If the compilation and distribution of this list is based on the combination of personal profiles and categories, it will certainly prove to be useful.

However, an important extra dimension in the form of tailor-made information will be added if the profiles can be created in the form of “dynamic searches”. The combination of users requesting pro-active and personalized overviews of newly acquired materials and the current technological (Internet) developments, justify the consideration of automatic notification.

Notification profiles can be used to comply with the specific notification demands of your “internal customers”. These profiles can be created with the aid of the Profiler, based on the interest areas of your internal customers. The composition of these profiles depends on your own information collections and, if reference systems are used, the way in which the tables have been filled. A profile then in fact becomes a search command, which is executed periodically (either daily, weekly, monthly or at another interval) in the newly acquired materials in the collection. The user will automatically receive an e-mail, informing him of only those new materials that correspond to his interest areas. It goes without saying that this is very useful in this 'information overload' era.

Depending on the complexity and needs, the profiles can either be managed centrally in the Knowledge Center, or compiled and modified by the users. E-Finder offers the possibility to create a request form with which users can apply for notification or request the modification or removal of existing profiles. Upon receipt of this form, the information specialist can update the notification profile to ensure the correct processing of the notification e-mail. 
 
 Download the Profiler folder, Dutch!