New Tools for Search and Discovery
Jason Vaughan
Director, Library Technology
University of Nevada Las Vegas
Bill Clayton
Assistant University Librarian for Systems
University of Georgia
Web Scale Discovery Services: An Introduction and Evaluative Model (Vaughan)
This discussion will frame the topic of Web scale discovery, and provide a roadmap/recipe for other libraries contemplating investigations of their own. A majority of Web scale discovery tools create and utilize a pre-aggregated central index down to the item and/or article level, for local and remote content. Such content often includes a library’s bibliographic records, digital collections, open access repositories, and licensed content (e.g. full text journal articles). Such tools promise to offer a relevancy-ranked, Google-like experience using common Web interface design and functionality elements, and hold the potential to serve as fundamental discovery platforms to a vast majority of content. The session will focus on the thorough internal and external steps carried out by the University of Nevada Las Vegas Libraries in evaluating five Web scale discovery services. Some general findings will be shared, including some observed similarities and differences amongst the services. Jason Vaughan is Director of Library Technologies at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and author of the upcoming January 2011 Library Technology Reports on web scale discovery services.
Handout (PDF)
Testing and Evaluation of a Central Index Discovery Tool (Clayton)
For nearly a decade, the University of Georgia Libraries has been looking for an effective way for our users to search a significant number of our licensed databases simultaneously. Federated or cross-database searching provided results from multiple databases, but it had too many limitations to be a good solution. It is clear that our undergraduate and less experienced graduate students have great difficulty identifying where to search among our more than 300 online databases. Along with many other research libraries, Georgia’s goal has been to enable users to do one search that gets results from the library’s catalog, its article databases, and its online full-text resources.
The University of Georgia Libraries have been participating in a trial of the EBSCO Discovery Service (EDS) central index discovery tool. EDS is one of several central index discovery tools that have recently become available from or are under development by library software/service vendors. While there is not yet much user data, encouraging information has been learned about the capabilities and limitations of these tools.
This presentation will cover tool strengths and challenges, campus reaction to the concept, the central index models, the beta partnership process, and our future plans. A demonstration of the discovery tool will be provided.
Handout (PDF)
EBSCO Discovery Service
Vendor Website: http://www.ebscohost.com/
Ex Libris Primo Central
Vendor Website: http://www.exlibrisgroup.com/
Innovative Interfaces Encore Synergy
Vendor Website: http://encoreforlibraries.com/products
OCLC WorldCat Local
Vendor Website: http://www.oclc.org/worldcatlocal/default.htm
Serials Solutions Summon
Vendor Website: http://www.serialssolutions.com/summon/