This document discusses web-scale discovery services as a solution for users' difficulties in finding relevant information from a library's resources. It notes that users often start their research on Google instead of the library website due to the library lacking a single search point for all subscribed resources. A web-scale discovery service provides a Google-like search experience through pre-harvesting and indexing all library resources into a unified index, allowing users to search across materials from a single search box. The document outlines several advantages of discovery services over traditional federated search engines or Google Scholar, such as improved relevancy ranking and the ability to filter by peer-reviewed or subject indexes. Studies show discovery services can increase usage of library resources and user satisfaction

1. Web Scale Discovery Service
Google like Search Experience
Nikesh Narayanan M.Tech, MLIS, M.com
Discovery Service Engineer
EBSCO Information Services
nikeshn@gmail.com

2. Important point #1
0% of users start their research on your
library’s website
(95% close to reality )

3. Important point #2
90% of users Users prefer Google as their first
search preference

4. Why users move away from Library ?
• library lacks a research tool that could fully
search all the subscribed resources of the
Library
• Library website usually present too many points of
entry; A variety of different databases make it
confusing to figure out where to go.
• Users wanted to start searching immediately from a
single entry point

5. – Books: Library OPAC (ILS
module)
– Articles from Individual e-
Journals
– Various e-Book collections
– Different e-journal publisher portal
– Aggregated : Full text and
Bibliographic Databases
– Databases that are not Subject
Indexes (WoS, Scopus etc.)
– Local Digital Collections (IRs)
Users’ Dilemma
Why users move away from Library
Disjoint Sources of Information
Where to Start?

6. Charleston 11-07
Where
should I
begin?

7.  Dissatisfied users
 Under utilized resources
 Loss of money time and efforts
 Unable to provide relevant information to users at right
time
 Inefficient mark on Library system ?
 Ultimate loss to institution & nation
Adverse consequences

8. Users Go to Google
But fail to get their relevant and authentic information
What is the solution ?

9. A Simple Vision
A single point entry to all the content and services offered by
the library…..
Search e-Journals, books, catalogue, IR’s etc.
….as well as providing an enjoyable search experience
Search

10. • Federated Search Software
• Single Search box
Web scale Discovery is beyond …..

11. Federated Search Software
Search:
Search Results
Real-time query and responses

12. Search:
Search Results
Pre-built harvesting and indexing
Meta
Search
Index
Local
Index
OPAC
Digital
Collections / IRs
Discovery Services

13. Discovery Service Federated Search Engines
Search is very fast as retrieval is done in pre-
harvested index
Slow (longer time for search completion) –
Federated searching is performing the meta
search on the fly from different resources
Standardized unified Index Many indexes: Individual indexes and different
database structures of various publishers makes
it difficult for metadata retrieval.
Robust Relevancy Ranking as retrieval is from
Unified index
Testing has proven that relevancy ranking is a
major issue in retrieval of quality data.
Metadata Enhancement is possible Metadata enhancement is not possible
Comprehensive results Shallow results -and eventually users will miss
much relevant content.
Performance quality is very high Many times important information from
relevant resources are missed out due to
connection error.
Subject filtering of result set is based on the
segmentation ( pre-defined controlled
vocabularies)
Subject filtering is through automatic clustering
and noise of non- standardized vocabularies
may mislead the users.
Discovery Vs Federated Search Engine

14. Web Scale Discovery Service
Simple yet Powerful solution
As Simple as Google / Google Scholar
Much higher in terms of functionalities

15. Google like simple search box on Library website

16. Web Scale Discovery Service
1. Possible to search / filter to Library’s
subscribed resources only.
2. Possible to limit search to peer
reviewed articles
3. Integration of Library Catalogue and
Institutional Repositories
1. Not available
2. Peer Reviewed filtering is not
available
3. Catalogue and IR integration is not
available
Discovery functionalities are much higher than Google Scholar

17. Web Scale Discovery Service
• More No. of facets • Less facets for filtering
results
Discovery functionalities are much higher than Google Scholar

18. Web Scale Discovery Service
5. Integration of subject Indexes is
possible through platform blending
6. Integration of SCOPUS and Web of
Science Possible
5. Not available
6. Not available
Discovery functionalities are much higher than Google Scholar

19. Web Scale Discovery Service
A to Z Directory of Library
Resources
Not available
Discovery functionalities are much higher than Google Scholar

20. Web Scale Discovery Service
Anytime anywhere with full
text access through
Integration with Remote
access technologies
( eg: Ezproxy, Athens etc. )
Not available
Discovery functionalities are much higher than Google Scholar

21. Advanced WSD Tools : features
• Integrate of most of the resources
• Non covered resources are integrated through
federated connectors (not possible in Google
Scholar)
• Integration of Subject Indexes through Platfrom
blending
• A to Z directory of Library Resources
• Customization
• Catalog Integration
• IR integration
• Widgets

22. Main Components
Content (Knowledge Base)
Technology

23. Content (Knowledge Base)
– Journals
– Books
– Databases
– Aggregators content
– Open source Materials
– News papers, indexes etc.
– Library Catalogue
– Institutional Repositories
Base Index
Local Index

24. Technology
 Harvester (OAI/PMH etc.)
 Automated transfer routines, load tables
 Metadata mapping
 Platform blending
 Indexing technology
 De-duplication Algorithms
 Link Resolvers
 Relevancy Algorithms
 Interface technologies

25. Institution Major results
Grand Valley State University Increased use of full text download
North Carolina State University Increased user satisfaction and usage
Oregon State University (worldcat local) Effective search which resulted in increased
usage
University of Texas (Summon) Significant Increase in the use of electronic
resources
Illinois University (EBSCO Discovery Service) significant increase in database usage.
Comparative Study : Bucknell University and
Illinois Wesleyan University – comparison of
Discovery services & Google Scholar
EBSCO Discovery Service outperformed other
discovery systems & Google Schloar
Discovery Service brings back users to
Libraries : Studies show the Evidence

26. Mobile Access

27. Responsive Design for Mobile
phone & Tablet device users

28. Auto-detection of mobile &
smartphone users...
Skinning/Branding…Facets…Usage Reporting

29. Ideal for Tablets

30. Enjoy Discovery !
Thanks!