Webcast Report: The Summon™ Service in Academic Libraries

The Success of Web-Scale Discovery in Returning Net-Gen Users to the Library

Dodie Ownes -- Library Journal, 04/12/2010

• Web-scale discovery produces single index of library holdings
• Improved access sparks more usage of full-text downloads
• Consistent messaging promotes new single search box

John Law, VP Discovery Services at Serials Solutions and webcast moderator, began the presentation with an overview of Summon, “the world’s first web-scale discovery service.” (Here's a 4/1/10 LJ report that covers the emergence of such interfaces.) Though traditional search can expose library inventory, with even more content available electronically than ever, something else was needed to connect researchers to this full-text.

Students, when faced with a “where do I start to look?” decision, often resort to opt out of the library catalog and select Wikipedia or other open-web sources.

However, Law cited a study that indicated a very high preference for library sources across the researcher spectrum, though these same respondents indicated that Google is the easiest place to start the research process, not the library. With Summon and its single search box architecture and unbiased rendering of results, the library can be seen as both the best and easiest place to search.

Counting the numbers
Doug Way, head of collection development at Grand Valley State University, Allendale, MI, described how his university had documented the impact of Summon. Though Way had anecdotal evidence of Summon's positive effect on use of the library’s electronic resources, he lacked statistical evidence.

An instrument was constructed to capture database usage as well as link resolver click-throughs from aggregator databases to full-text. The evidence  indicates that Summon changed user searching behavior dramatically, resulting in vastly increased discovery of full-text across a large variety of databases (e.g., 146% for JSTOR, 92% for Academic Search Premier).

Among the surprises in this first round of data-crunching: researchers really want newspaper content-- the top-ranked newspaper sources changed significantly in the last year. Also, “they may actually like books,” as there was an increase in referrals going to the library catalog from Summon to reach book content.

Marketing the search box
Jennifer Duvernay, marketing and outreach officer at Arizona State University Libraries, Tempe, followed with a presentation on how the Summon single search box, branded Library One Search, was promoted across her institution.

The process involved four major components – naming, visual identity development, system integration, promotional messaging – designed to result in a smooth rollout and acceptance in the ASU community. Student input was valuable in choosing a simple name. The final designs for the logo came from the university’s graphics department, using used the university’s color palette and design toolkit.  

Visual integration of Library One Search is consistent across the library web site, the MyASU Portal, LibGuides system and ASU Libraries toolbar. Integration with the campus Blackboard system should begin this summer.

Promotional messaging followed the same consistent path, using the Library One Search logos and taglines on billboards, banner ads across the university web site, and more. The buzz from students and faculty has been quite positive.

Questions
Law, Way and Duvernay navigated through a range of questions during the Q&A. These ranged from “Does Summon access ebook content?” (short answer: yes) to “Are institutional depositories included at your institutions?” (again: yes).

With a large number of questions from attendees remaining to be answered offline, Law wrapped up the webcast, reminding attendees of the next part in the 2010 Summon webcast series, Understanding the New Discovery Landscape: Federated Search, Web-scale Discovery, Next-Generation Catalog and the Rest, on May 6, 2:00-3:00 PM EDT. It will be available at LJ's webcasts page.

The April 8 webcast, The Success of Web-Scale Discovery in Returning Net-Gen Users to the Library: The Summon™ Service in Academic Libraries, is now archived and available at www.libraryjournal.com/summonrevolution.