An Unexpected Discovery: One Library's Experience With Web-Scale Discovery Service (WSDS) Evaluation and Assessment |
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| Authors: | Nadine P Ellero |
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| Institution: | Ralph Brown Draughon Library , Auburn University , Auburn , AL , USA |
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| Abstract: | ABSTRACT “Discovery” is today's term for user-centered information searching and access. A growing number of libraries have embraced Web-scale discovery services (WSDS) featuring one-stop searching of libraries’ owned and licensed collections. Recognizing potential benefits to users of these systems, a mid-sized ARL library formed a discovery-tool committee in spring 2012 to explore selection of a WSDS in keeping with its values, vision, and institutional mission. This article explores “discovery” as it assesses WSDS performance and reports results obtained from a request to WSDS vendors to showcase the search power of their system with actual reference questions. |
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| Keywords: | Web-scale discovery services discovery evaluation assessment discernment decision-making |
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