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- Description
- Table of Contents
- About the authors
In this issue of Library Technology Reports (vol. 54, no. 8), Marshall Breeding provides an updated look at the realm of discovery products implemented in libraries, focusing especially on how these products have been implemented in academic libraries. The scope of this issue focuses primarily on index-based discovery services. Throughout the report, Breeding shares data he has gathered describing the use of the following discovery services among colleges and universities in the United States: WorldCat Discovery Service and its predecessor WorldCat Local from OCLC, Summon and Primo from Ex Libris, and EBSCO Discovery Service from EBSCO Information Services. Almost a decade has transpired since the introduction of these products. Libraries have made a substantial economic investment during that period, which warrants a look at some of the patterns in which discovery services have been implemented in libraries and what trends we may anticipate in the future.
This report will
- Highlight the different options available to libraries today for discovery services;
- Share the pros and cons of getting your discovery service bundled with other automation tools from the same vendor;
- Identify the special challenges in addressing open access resources in discovery and what solutions are available;
- Look at the current state of discovery services in academic libraries and which services are adopted most;
- Discuss the trends of discovery product implementations according to size and scope of academic libraries; and
- Explore the future of discovery services and what Breeding anticipates as developing trends in the academic library discovery arena.
- Chapter 1: Introduction
- Chapter 2: Current State of Discovery in Academic Libraries
- Chapter 3: Index-Based Discovery Services: Current Players and Products
- Chapter 4: Implementation Study: US Academic Libraries
- Chapter 5: Current Phase of Discovery
- Chapter 6: Possible Future Trends
- Chapter 7: References and Resources
Marshall Breeding
Marshall Breeding is an independent consultant, speaker, and author. He is the creator and editor of Library Technology Guides (https://librarytechnology.org) and the Libraries.org online directory of libraries. He is the editor for Smart Libraries Newsletter, published by ALA TechSource, and has authored the annual Library Systems Report, published in American Libraries since 2014. He has also edited and authored several books, articles, and book chapters; was formerly the director for innovative technology and research for the Vanderbilt University Library; and regularly teaches workshops and gives presentations both throughout the United States and internationally at library conferences.
Library Technology Reports
Published by ALA TechSource, Library Technology Reports helps librarians make informed decisions about technology products and projects. Library Technology Reports publishes eight issues annually and provides thorough overviews of current technology. Reports are authored by experts in the field and may address the application of technology to library services, offer evaluative descriptions of specific products or product classes, or cover emerging technology. Find out more information on this publication and how you can subscribe here.