1. Current Issues and Trends
Discovery Tools
Current Issues and Trends
Marshall Breeding
Independent Consultant, Author, and
Founder and Publisher, Library Technology Guides
Internet Librarian 2016
October 17, 2013

2. Description
Libraries face a complex set of choices as they consider the best technologies to assist them in managing and providing access to their collections and services. Breeding provides an overview and analysis of the current environment of discovery tools for libraries.

3. Library Discovery Past

4. Bound Catalog
National Library of Colombia

5. Card Catalog
National Library of Argentina

8. Online Catalog Scope of Search
ILS Data
Online Catalog
Search:
Scope of Search
Books, Journals, and Media at the Title Level
Not in scope:
Articles
Book Chapters
Digital objects
Search Results

9. NOTIS: MDAS Multiple Database Access System Released in 1989
Article-level indexing (Mostly Wilson Databases)
Grant supported by Pew Charitable Trusts
Development Partners: NOTIS and Vanderbilt University
See: Steffey, RJ. “NOTIS multiple database access system: a look behind the scenes” Online , v14 n5 p46-49 Sep 1990

10. Next-gen Catalogs or Discovery Interface
Single search box
Query tools
Did you mean
Type-ahead
Relevance ranked results
Faceted navigation
Enhanced visual displays
Cover art
Summaries, reviews,
Recommendation services
Scope of Search
Books, Journals, and Media at the Title Level
Other local and open access content
Not in scope:
Articles
Book Chapters
Digital objects

11. Discovery Interface search model
ILS Data
Discovery Interface search model
Digital Collections
Search:
Local Index
ProQuest
Search Results
EBSCOhost
MetaSearch Engine …
MLA Bibliography
ABC-CLIO
Real-time query and responses

12. Web-scale Index-based Discovery
ILS Data
Web-scale Index-based Discovery
(2009- present)
Digital Collections
Search:
Web Site Content
Institutional Repositories
Aggregated Content packages
Search Results
Consolidated Index
Open Access …
E-Journals
Usage-generated Data
Customer Profile
Reference Sources
Pre-built harvesting and indexing

13. Resource Discovery Trends

14. Current state Academic Libraries: Public Libraries
Index-based model dominates
3: Ex Libris, EBSCO, OCLC
Public Libraries
Online catalogs or discovery interfaces from ILS Vendor
Replacement Discovery Interfaces
Comprehensive Library portals

15. 2015 Index-based Discovery
Index-Based Discovery Services Installations
Product
2015
2014
2013
Total
EBSCO Discovery Service
2,634
2634
1774
10,003
Primo
117 88 98
1,766
Summon
158
195
169
718
WorldCat Discovery Services
3,642
WorldCat Local
698

16. Web-scale Index-based Discovery
ILS Data
Web-scale Index-based Discovery
(2009- present)
Digital Collections
Search:
Web Site Content
Institutional Repositories
Aggregated Content packages
Search Results
Consolidated Index
Open Access …
E-Journals
Usage-generated Data
Customer Profile
Reference Sources
Pre-built harvesting and indexing

17. Bento Box Discovery Model
Aggregated Content packages
Search:
Open Access
ILS Data
VuFind / Blacklight
E-Journals
Consolidated Index
Search Results
Web Site Content
Digital Collections
Institutional Repositories
Pre-built harvesting and indexing

18. Integrate Discovery with Resource Management?
Should there be a tight bundling of Discovery Services with Library Services Platforms:
WorldCat Discovery Services + WorldShare Management Services
Primo + Alma
EBSCO rejects tight bundling
Partners with almost all ILS products
Support for open source FOLIO project
Many libraries prefer providing discovery separately

19. Discovery from Content Providers
Two of the major discovery services are tied to content providers:
EBSCO Information Services
EBSCO Discovery Service
ProQuest:
Summon
Primo + Primo Central
Explicit bias would not be tolerated by libraries
Providing discovery services can provide insight into content acquisition and patron behaviors

20. Emphasis on Digital Lending Services
Most public libraries offer some type of e-book lending service
Ongoing reliance on content provided by OverDrive, Recorded Books, Bibliotheca, Odilo and others
Interest in library centered e-book lending solutions
NYPL: SimplyE App (created as part of the Library Simplified initiative)

21. Phases of E-book integration
Link to provider’s platform
Load bibliographic records in catalog
API integration to enable full discovery, search, and download from library catalog
Library-centered e-book lending platform

22. Connecting e-books to readers
Publishers
Many others…
Authors
E-Book Services
Readers

23. E-Book Integration Model
Aggregated Content packages
Search:
ILS Data
Library Catalog
Index
Search Results
Web Site Content
Digital Collections
Authentication
Checkout - Download
External
E-Book Lending Service
Local E-book
Repository
Discovery

24. From Discovery to Content Management
Extend the discovery environment to not only replace the online catalog, but to replace the full library web site
Library-specific content management system
Fully integrate discovery into the library’s web environment
Include all content and services on the site into discovery
Comprehensive library portal

25. Examples BiblioCommons: Infor Axiell
BiblioCore + BiblioCMS
Infor
Iguana
Axiell
Arena
Global Forge (formerly Hybrid Forge)
Stacks
Toronto Public Library
Endeca-powered catalog + Web site

26. Library Discovery Futures
Beyond Index-based Discovery

27. The future of Resource Discovery
Discovery more integrated into a broader view of library content and services
More comprehensive discovery indexes
Stronger technologies for search and retrieval
Discovery beyond library-provided interfaces
Linked Data to supplement discovery indexes

28. Universal participation
Barriers to participation soften as mutual interest prevails over competitive conditions
Advantage to content providers to maximize exposure of resources
Discovery providers gain value in functionality as metadata becomes increasingly commoditized
Essential to preserve value of indexing and abstracting services
Content providers see discovery as a essential channel for distribution

29. More Distributed Discovery
Address the reality that discovery takes place outside of library provided interfaces
Optimized exposure in the ecosystem of search engine and social network
Not Concentrated on the Library web site
Expression of discovery services via other campus tools and portals and beyond

30. Multi-layered discovery
Native interfaces of specialized content services
Disciplinary aggregations
General library discovery tools
Global Internet-based discovery

31. Discovery beyond Library Interfaces
Improved performance of library content through Google Scholar
Same expectations for transparency?
Better exposure of library-oriented content
Schema.org or other microdata formats
Better exposure of scholarly resources
Open access and Proprietary
Embedded tools in other campus interfaces

32. Part of the General Internet Infrastructure
Scholarly content will be promoted via similar mechanisms as commercial content
Additional levels of infrastructure to protect privacy
Resource management and/or discovery tools expose content items as open linked data

33. Library opts out of Discovery
Utrecht University Library
Decision to not implement a discovery service but to rely entirely on Google Scholar and other general and scholarly search engines
literature/searching-for-articles-books-theses
Kortekaas , Simone. “Thinking the unthinkable: a library without a catalogue — Reconsidering the future of discovery tools for Utrecht University library.” LIBER General Annual Conference 2012

34. Linked Data / Semantic Search
Major trend toward information systems based on linked data
Many projects now based on linked data
Area of peak interest for Library of Congress, OCLC, etc
BIBFRAME
Potential to transform how libraries approach discovery
Likely interim hybrid models: central indexes + Linked Data
Current opportunities in making library content more discoverable

35. Hybrid models
Can index-based search tools be improved through Linked Data
Browse to related resources
Add additional hierarchies of structure to search results

36. Possibilities for Open Access discovery index
Open source tools exist for discovery Interfaces:
VuFind
Blacklight
No open access discovery indexes
High threshold of expense and difficulty to build index
Platform costs
Software development
Publisher relations
Billions of content items to index and maintain

37. Current model requires massive resources
Threshold of resources required currently too high for open access central discovery index
Assessment might change if options narrowed
Opportunities to lower barriers to entry?
More open model more likely to come through linked data discovery model

38. Commoditization of Central Indexes
Knowledgebases of e-resource coverage commoditized via KBART and other factors
Central index content likewise will eventually become commoditized
Limited number of discovery service platforms?
Value found in the synergies between library resource management and optimized discovery and delivery

39. Value in open scholarship
Hopefully the future will be based on open access to scholarly research
Mandates from funding organizations will transform scholarly communications
Current discovery models based on preponderance of proprietary content
Future discovery must assume dominance of open access publishing and underlying data sets

40. Future of discovery service products
Remain one of the essential components of library technology infrastructure
Loosely or tightly tied to resource management
Increased sophistication in direct discovery and delivery functionality
Increased expectation to syndicate content to local and global discovery context

41. The next phase of Discovery
Now in a critical point for discovery
Current products evolve
Reaching limits of the prevailing architecture?
Current set of products and services an interim step
Important for stakeholders to engage in defining the future of library resource discovery
Future products must address expected changes in scholarly publishing, library priorities, and institutional strategies.

42. Questions and discussion