WiLS June 2016 Vendor Partner Interview: Lauren Pinsley, Trueserials

At WiLS, we want to bring valuable information to our library partners, including information about the missions and big ideas of the vendors they may already do business with.  Each month, WiLS interviews a vendor partner in order to bridge the gap and open the door to valuable collaborations.  This month, we are delighted to share insights from Lauren Pinsley, Director, Sales & Implementation at Trueserials, a WiLS Gold Vendor Partner!

Tell us about your company’s background.

Trueserials is a cloud-based, open-source, software as a service (SaaS) business. Our unique value is our staff’s 30+ years of experience with library technology and e-resources management. Trueserials originated as a service of Nylink in 2009 (Nylink was a department of the State University of New York’s [SUNY] System Administration). Based on CUFTS open source software, a ReSearcher initiative of Simon Fraser University, Trueserials’ mission is to provide comprehensive e-resource management for smaller libraries at an affordable price.  A full subscription to Trueserials includes a journal A to Z list, a robust electronic resources management platform (ERM), an OpenURL link resolver, and integration with most databases, and services such as Google Scholar, ILLiad and Browzine. Libraries may also opt to just subscribe to the ERM only.  We were established as an LLC in 2010, and we are an intentionally small and artisanal business. We love customization, and we strive to help our customers achieve results that they are proud of, and that integrate into their information environment successfully.

Why do you, personally, choose to work with libraries?

I am a librarian, and over the years since 1980 when I began my career, I have experienced the incredible sea change of library technologies. My career has involved helping libraries and library professionals successfully implement new technology platforms, and incorporate new services and standards that improve their services to patrons. It is the most varied and exciting work, and I get to meet and work with some of the most brilliant and big-hearted people in libraries all over the world.  I guess I’ve been a library geek since I was about 6 years old, and it still thrills me when all the pieces work together to get researchers where they need to go.

What do you like to know about the libraries you work with? What helps you better understand their needs?

It is always important to understand the library’s own mission to serve their patrons, and how they need to collaborate with other libraries. We live and work in such a highly networked environment. When I can understand how libraries need to interact, and how they want to provide and promote their own services, it really guides how we can help them achieve those goals.

What big ideas are being worked on at your company? What problems are being solved?

We started out trying to solve the problem of the invisible e-journal collection that most libraries had buried in their database subscriptions. But as we grew and learned, we realized that it was less about known title journal A-Z lists, and more about getting the researcher from wherever they were starting their research, to the print or electronic full text that their library could provide to them, doing it as smoothly as possible and at an affordable price! Most recently, we are very excited to introduce our ability to provide holdings output to Browzine, an exciting visual journal discovery service from Third Iron, LLC.

How can librarians become partners in product or training development?

Our customers just tell us what they need, and we work to fulfill that need. We love to hear about functionality that libraries would like to see added or improved in Trueserials. We also often look to our customers for guidance on how to document our functionality, and we ask them to test new features. Of course, CUFTS is open-source, and the ReSearcher initiative also actively interacts with their subscribers, which include such large consortia as the Council of Prairie and Pacific University Libraries (COPPUL) and the BC Electronic Library Network (BC ELN). Librarians at Simon Fraser University, along with the entire CUFTS and Trueserials customer base maintain and monitor the global knowledgebase that supports correct holdings. It is truly a collaboration that could not continue without active input from library staff.

Do you have anything else you’d like to share here?

Our slogan is “Trueserials: it’s everything you need to manage e-resources.” We aim to give libraries all the functionality without a big price tag. But more than our reasonable pricing, we are totally committed to making sure our service provides what you need, supports your goals, and just makes you look good!

These interviews are part of a series of interviews with both WiLS library and vendor partners.  Your feedback is appreciated.  If you have any to offer on this article, or suggestions for upcoming interviews, contact Andrea Coffin at .