Web-scale discovery services: searching the library in the era of Google Katie Dunn Technology & Metadata Librarian Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Slides:

Web-scale discovery services: searching the library in the era of Google

Katie DunnTechnology & Metadata LibrarianRensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Slides: tinyurl.com/nyslaa-discovery

Presented to the New York State Library Assistants’ Association June 6, 2014

http://tinyurl.com/nyslaa-discovery



Web-scale discovery services

• What is web-scale discovery?• Assessing needs and selecting a web-scale

discovery service• Implementation• Maintenance and evaluation

Who are you and where are you coming from?

• Public/academic/other?• Tech services/public services/other?• Does your library have a discovery service?– Summon, EDS, Primo, WorldCat Local?


• What is web-scale discovery?

Why web-scale discovery?

• Libraries have many places to search (“silos”)– Catalog– Databases and e-journals (many)– Digital collections– Other?

• Which have relevant content for my search?• Where do I start?

http://library.rpi.edu/


• Users expect a Google-like single search box that searches everything, and assume library search boxes work this way.– (Library literature, user testing)

• Users have a hard time knowing where to start, especially searching for articles.

• Desire for integration of the majority of library’s collection in one place - books and articles together


How to make searching the library more like searching Google?

Libraries first tried federated search:• Search entered • Search sent out to multiple databases in real time• Results returned from multiple databases• Results compiled in a single display list.

Example – mainstreaming

http://dc01vg0055na.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com:8332/V?func=find-db-1-category&mode=category&category=Places%20to%20Start&SUB_CAT=All&Restricted=all


• Federated search was dissatisfying– Slow– Clunky, non-intuitive– Limited number of results retrieved– Hard to integrate results from multiple sources

into single list– Refining search is difficult– Breakable

• Thumbs down, from librarians and users.


Enter web-scale discovery• Vendor provides a GIANT index of articles,

reference sources, reports, patents, etc. (mega-database)

• Allows integration of local records (catalog, digital collections) into same index/interface.

• Fast to return results• Intuitive search interface – easier to adjust

results.

Web-scale discovery example

Example

http://library.rpi.edu/

The road to Quick Search at RPI

• Fall 2009: Usability testing of library website• Spring/Summer 2010: Evaluation of discovery

landscape: federated search and web-scale discovery• Fall 2012: Usability testing of library website, needs

assessment, information gathering• Spring 2013: Evaluation of current discovery service

products, selection of EDS• Summer 2013: Implementation of EDS• August 2013: Rollout of EDS• Fall 2013: Refinement based on feedback, testing



discovery service

Assessing needs and selecting a web-scale discovery service

Our plan (~ 5 months)• Gather information – Literature search – Current product landscape– Local needs assessment– Survey of peer institution websites

• Decide which products to investigate further(continued)


Our plan (~ 5 months - continued)• Investigate 3 web-scale discovery products– Product feature and coverage comparison

• Demos / quotes • User tests• Conference calls with other institutions about

their products• Make product recommendation to library

director



• Decide which products to investigate(continued)


Local needs assessment: What is important to your library? For us, it was solving the article search problem:• A place to start your research, especially for

articles.• Bonus: integration of the majority of our

collections in one place – books and articles together.


• Reducing barriers to access for our important full-text resources (databases and journals) - should increase usage?

• Catalog works great for providing access to books (print and e-books), but only 10% of our budget is spent on books.


Other things that may be priorities for your library:• Integration with catalog• Improved catalog search• Control over search interface / maintaining

existing search interface




Survey of peer institution websites

• What are our peer institutions using? • How do they present the tool on their site?

http://rpi-lib-tech.wikispaces.com/Market+basket+libraries

http://rpi-lib-tech.wikispaces.com/Market+basket+libraries+search+box+screenshots

Single-box article search at 27 peer institutions – by type

F. S.

None

Now

Federated Search

None

Oth

erW

SD

Oth

er

Fall 2010

Spring 2013

Web-Scale Discovery






• Demos / quotes • User tests• Conference calls with other institutions about their

products• Make product recommendation to library director• Contract negotiation


Investigate 3 web-scale discovery products– Product feature and coverage comparison

• EBSCO Discovery Service• Ex Libris Primo• Serials Solutions Summon

http://library.rice.edu/

http://library.rice.edu/

http://www.library.northwestern.edu/




http://library.rit.edu/























discovery service• Implementation

The road to Quick Search at RPI

• Fall 2009: Usability testing of library website• Spring/Summer 2010: Evaluation of discovery

landscape: federated search and web-scale discovery• Fall 2012: Usability testing of library website, needs

assessment, information gathering• Spring 2013: Evaluation of current discovery service

products, selection of EDS• Summer 2013: Implementation of EDS• August 2013: Rollout of EDS• Fall 2013: Refinement based on feedback, testing

Implementation

Vendor factors• How long does it take to set up?

– Less if you had a trial• What support is provided during implementation?

• Configuration – data mapping, interface options, link resolver, off-campus

access, etc.– Need to make some decisions locally to determine this.

• Local data loads – e-resource holdings info, catalog, digital collections, etc.

Implementation

Local factors • Local data: What to load? – Catalog? Digital collections? Other stuff?– Data mapping decisions

• Interface options– Default to displaying your library’s materials only in

results? Or everything, even things not held by library?• Configuration options– Link resolver, off-campus access, etc.– Which data providers to include in vendor index?

Implementation

Local factors • How do you present it on your site?• What do you call it?– Find it!, QuickSearch, OneSearch, branded name?

• Promotion– Library staff, users

• Instruction– Web-based guides?– Integration into in-person instruction




Maintenance and evaluation

Maintenance• Data loads – catalog, e-resource holdings (from link resolver)– Automated, but requires some troubleshooting

• Troubleshooting – access, linking – Wider variety of stuff getting sent to link resolver.

• Keeping up with new developments in the tool – explaining to library staff and users– New features– New content sources – decide whether to include or not– (read the product listserv)


Evaluation (How are people using the service? How is it impacting usage of your other resources?)• User/usability testing• Surveys• Trouble reports – where are people having

problems?• Statistics


Evaluation• Statistics – Discovery service: sessions, records viewed,

clickthroughs– E-resources (native interface searches, fulltext

accesses)– ILL– Link resolver statistics




• Questions? Comments? Ideas?

Documents

Web-scale discovery services: searching the library in the era of Google Katie Dunn Technology & Metadata Librarian Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Slides: