1. State of the Art: Federated Search Engines ICOLC April 13, 2005

2. Federated Search hype, circa 2003 The correct solution for unifying access to a variety of information resources. The correct solution for unifying access to a variety of information resources. - Roy Tennant, Library Journal, 6/15/2003 Metasearch technology creates a portal that could allow the library to become the one-stop shop their users find so attractive. Metasearch technology creates a portal that could allow the library to become the one-stop shop their users find so attractive. - Judy Luther, Library Journal, 10/1/2003

3. Federated Search obits, 2005 2005 is the year that will be remembered (in the library world) as the year federated searching became obsolete. 2005 is the year that will be remembered (in the library world) as the year federated searching became obsolete. - JAF, The Digital Librarian, 2/23/2005 How quickly things can change! Last year there were discussions about the Google-busting potential of metasearch. How naive. This year there are discussions about the metasearch-busting potential of Google Scholar. How quickly things can change! Last year there were discussions about the Google-busting potential of metasearch. How naive. This year there are discussions about the metasearch-busting potential of Google Scholar. - Lorcan Dempsey, 3/20/2005

4. Michigan eLibrary State library funded, through LSTA State library funded, through LSTA Access to databases since 1997 Access to databases since 1997 Gale, OCLC, ProQuest, LearningExpress, NetLibrary Gale, OCLC, ProQuest, LearningExpress, NetLibrary Digitized resources Digitized resources Union catalog Union catalog Gateway Gateway

5. Component Software INN-Reach INN-Reach Metafind Metafind Webridge Webridge

6. Metafind Contract signed May 2004 Contract signed May 2004 Software design Fall 2004 Software design Fall 2004 Preview Release January 2005 (www.mel.org) Preview Release January 2005 (www.mel.org) Official launch scheduled for June 2005 Official launch scheduled for June 2005

7. What We’ve Learned Usual complaints Usual complaints Deduping is inadequate Deduping is inadequate Relevance ranking is problematic Relevance ranking is problematic Slow to return results Slow to return results Results sorted by database Results sorted by database Results confuse users Results confuse users

8. What We’ve Learned Control issues Control issues Interface design is hard, especially in multitype library environment Interface design is hard, especially in multitype library environment Can’t out-Google Google Can’t out-Google Google Targeted portals may be a better option Targeted portals may be a better option