“Our users like the new and more encompassing search experience.” “Overall feedback really positive and encouraging,” Weigel said. When a library subscribes to e-journals or e-journal packages via EBSCO and one or more research databases on the EBSCO host platform, SmartLinks+ can be automatically enabled to connect users to all of the library’s full-text content from EBSCO.Īlthough Weigel does not know how Metasearch has impacted research grants, research outputs, or course marks, initial reaction suggests that users are happy with the amount of time they are saving with EDS.
TEXT ON A SWISS NUMBER FULL
In addition, EDS has increased use of the Library’s EBSCO e-resources through SmartLinks+, a feature that triangulates the availability, ownership, and location of full text. In 2012, the overall number of full-text downloads was 50 percent higher than those seen in 2011. Since implementing EDS, the University Library has seen an increase in the use of its electronic resources. The University of St.Gallen Library launched EDS, branded as “Metasearch,” in January of 2012. “They can transfer this know-how to EDS, and it works in the other direction as well (EDS to EBSCO host),” Weigel said. “We think that exploiting the indexing quality of the subject-specific databases within a discovery environment is rather unique to EDS.”įurthermore, users were already familiar with the EDS search interface because the University subscribes to several EBSCO host databases. “Overwhelmingly, researchers and students alike wanted the integration of subject databases and the library catalog,” Weigel said. In addition to enabling the University to seamlessly integrate the library catalog, EDS offers high-quality metadata and superior indexing for subject-specific research databases which allows the Library to maximize its return on investment. Ulrich Weigel, Head of Service Center Information Resources, said EDS offered clear advantages over other discovery services, in terms of quality, precision, and familiarity.
TEXT ON A SWISS NUMBER TRIAL
In 2011, the University of St.Gallen Library formed a small implementation team and began a trial to evaluate EBSCO Discovery Service (EDS), a robust library research platform that provides users with access to an institution's entire collection via a single, customizable entry point, thus creating an experience that is comprehensive, fast, and familiar.ĭr. To overcome these challenges, the Library sought a research tool that would not only integrate as many of the Library’s e-resources as possible into a single-search interface, but also improve usability and retrieval performance. In addition, because they could not search all subject databases at once, students were inevitably missing out on relevant content. As a result, the search process did not meet students’ expectations. Prior to EDS, the University of St.Gallen Library did not have an integrated search platform instead, the Library used several products from different vendors, all with varying user interfaces.
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