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
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?
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?
Why web-scale discovery?
• 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
Why web-scale discovery?
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
Why web-scale discovery?
• 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.
Why web-scale discovery?
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.
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
Web-scale discovery services
• What is web-scale discovery?• Assessing needs and selecting a web-scale
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)
Assessing needs and selecting a web-scale discovery service
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
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(continued)
Assessing needs and selecting a web-scale discovery service
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.
Assessing needs and selecting a web-scale discovery service
• 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.
Assessing needs and selecting a web-scale discovery service
Other things that may be priorities for your library:• Integration with catalog• Improved catalog search• Control over search interface / maintaining
existing search interface
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(continued)
Survey of peer institution websites
• What are our peer institutions using? • How do they present the tool on their site?
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
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(continued)
Assessing needs and selecting a web-scale discovery service
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• Contract negotiation
Assessing needs and selecting a web-scale discovery service
Investigate 3 web-scale discovery products– Product feature and coverage comparison
• EBSCO Discovery Service• Ex Libris Primo• Serials Solutions Summon
Assessing needs and selecting a web-scale discovery service
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• Contract negotiation
Assessing needs and selecting a web-scale discovery service
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• Contract negotiation
Assessing needs and selecting a web-scale discovery service
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• Contract negotiation
Assessing needs and selecting a web-scale discovery service
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• Contract negotiation
Assessing needs and selecting a web-scale discovery service
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• Contract negotiation
Web-scale discovery services
• What is web-scale discovery?• Assessing needs and selecting a web-scale
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
Web-scale discovery services
• What is web-scale discovery?• Assessing needs and selecting a web-scale
discovery service• Implementation• Maintenance and evaluation
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)
Maintenance and evaluation
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
Maintenance and evaluation
Evaluation• Statistics – Discovery service: sessions, records viewed,
clickthroughs– E-resources (native interface searches, fulltext
accesses)– ILL– Link resolver statistics