LibConnect Pro can be used to support collection promotion, staff picks, and reader’s advisory–style outreach through email campaigns and content blocks. However, it does not currently integrate with Syndetics Unbound to retrieve bibliographic enrichment such as book cover images, summaries, or series information.
This is a notable gap given that:
- LibGuides already supports Syndetics Unbound, allowing libraries to easily embed enriched book content.
- Patron Point integrates with Syndetics Unbound (e.g., via its Recommends functionality).
- Many libraries already license Syndetics Unbound specifically for discovery, promotion, and engagement.
As a result, LibConnect Pro is currently unable to leverage enrichment data that is already available elsewhere in the Springshare and library vendor ecosystem.
Why this enhancement would be valuable:
- Book recommendations or staff picks without cover images and summaries are significantly less engaging.
- Visual enrichment improves scannability, discovery, and click-through rates in email campaigns.
- Staff must manually locate and insert book covers and descriptions, increasing workload and inconsistency.
- Libraries cannot fully utilize their existing Syndetics Unbound subscriptions within LibConnect Pro.
Proposed enhancement:
- Add optional Syndetics Unbound integration within LibConnect Pro.
- Support ISBN-based lookups to retrieve:
- Cover images
- Summaries
- Author and series information (where available)
- Make this data usable within:
- Email campaigns
- Staff picks or recommended reading sections
- Other content blocks intended for collection promotion
Benefits to libraries:
- Brings LibConnect Pro into alignment with LibGuides and other library marketing tools.
- Improves the visual quality and effectiveness of LCP content.
- Reduces manual content preparation.
- Allows libraries to make full use of Syndetics Unbound subscriptions they already maintain.
