Exploring Discovery (Paperback)

Kenneth J. Varnum

ISBN 10: 1783300965 / ISBN 13: 9781783300969

Published by Facet Publishing, London, 2016

About this Item

Paperback. In the context of libraries, discovery is the process of finding appropriate resources to meet an information need. We are in a new age of discovery where technology has enabled todays researchers to explore increasingly vaster realms of information more efficiently than ever before. What cutting-edge tools and services are emerging from the growing suite of discovery interfaces and indexes? Where is discovery going, and what tools and techniques are emerging as standard elements in the library technology toolbox? Exploring Discovery examines the range of discovery-focused tools and technologies being deployed by libraries and provides a series of case studies illustrating the interfaces and technologies that can be used by libraries today. The key topics covered include:vendor-provided web scale discovery platformsusing discovery vendors in small and mid-sized librarieslibraries, archives and museums sharing a single discovery toolcustom discovery systems built with open-source software including Blacklightdiscovery on a shoestringintegrating discovery to improve user experiencedifferent discovery interfacesmetadata challenges in discovery servicesOpen Access and discovery toolsregional aggregation and discovery of digital collections.The book will be essential reading for library managers, systems librarians, metadata librarians, digital services librarians and anyone working in libraries, archives and museums looking to evaluate, implement, develop or improve discovery services. Exploring Discovery examines the range of discovery-focused tools and technologies being deployed by libraries and provides a series of case studies illustrating the interfaces and technologies that can be used by libraries today. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability.

Seller Inventory # 9781783300969

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Exploring Discovery (Paperback)
• Publisher: Facet Publishing, London
• Publication Date: 2016
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1783300965
• ISBN 13: 9781783300969
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: new

About this title

Synopsis

We're in a new age of Discovery. Not of the physical world but rather one that serves up appropriate resources for your library s researchers, thanks to advancements in handling metadata, natural language processing, and keyword searching. For you, Discovery might be shorthand for single-index products such as Serials Solutions Summon, EBSCO Discovery, and OCLC s WorldCat Discovery. Yet even those tools require adjustments to meet your institution's specific needs. With first-hand profiles of 19 library projects, Varnum and his roster of contributors offer guidance on the complete range of discovery services, from the broad sweep of vendors' products to the fine points of specialized holdings. Topics include:

• migrating from a traditional ILS to a library services platform;
• creating a task list for usability testing of discovery;
• managing internal development requirements within the constraints of a small or mid-sized library;
• applying agile software methodology to a Blacklight implementation;
• real-world examples of usability testing, including a small liberal arts college's implementation of VuFind;
• meeting the challenge of three different metadata formats;
• practices in the Primo community for integrating open access content into the front end;
• serving mobile users with an app and responsive Web design;
• analyzing the use of facets in search;
• using a single discovery tool across a library, museum, and archive; and
• implementing discovery with geospatial datasets.

Easy to dip into as needed, this comprehensive examination of discovery services will prove invaluable to IT, web development, electronic resource management, and technical services staff.

About the Author

Kenneth J. Varnum is senior program manager for discovery, delivery, and learning analytics at the University of Michigan Library. In this role, he is responsible for the library's discovery interfaces (the MLibrary single search tool, ArticlesPlus, Search Tools, etc.), link resolution and content delivery interfaces, and the library's evolving and emerging learning analytics infrastructure. Over his two decades working with public-facing technology in academic, corporate, and special libraries, he has gained a deep appreciation and understanding of the need to tailor systems and interfaces to the local user base. In addition to numerous articles and chapters, he wrote Drupal in Libraries (2012), and edited The Top Technologies Every Librarian Needs to Know: A LITA Guide (2014) and Lorcan Dempsey's The Network Reshapes the Library (2014).