Discovery Layers and Summon

In class, we have been discussing the somewhat antiquated online discovery tools used to search library catalogs and the idea of a "next-generation" library catalog.  Both Proprietary and open source discovery layers are lagging behind commercial search engines in usability, web 2.0 features, and modern design, and are not meeting the expectations of the tech savvy library patrons of today.  We have all grown accustomed to the user friendly Google search box that corrects our mistakes and understands our intentions.  In order to remain relevant and competitive in the current and future information market, libraries desperately need to have these next generation catalogs that offer the user a method to easily search all library holdings through a single point of entry, faceted navigation that allows the user to easily and quickly refine her search, and additional features that enhance the user's experience.

As a part of this discussion, we were required to explore and analyze one particular discovery tool.  I chose to examine Summon 2.0, a commercial discovery layer created by Serials Solutions.  It is primarily intended for use by academic and research libraries, and is used by Dartmouth College Library, University of Sydney Library, and Western Michigan University.  Unlike most other discovery tools, in Summon, all incoming metadata is translated to a common schema before being entered into a single index for discovery.  This allows for highly relevant search results, which are easily navigated, regardless of the source provider.  By my calculations, Summon is pretty close to a next-generation catalog based on the twelve requirements outlined by Yang and Wagner, in their 2010 article Evaluating and Comparing discovery tools: how close are we towards next generation catalog?  Although Yang and Wagner credited Summon with having a state-of-the-art user interface, I'm not sure that I agree wholeheartedly with this assessment.  Really, none of the available discovery tools possess a truly technologically current and engaging user interface, but I guess that Summon's is as about as good as they get.  Three unique features that I found to be especially useful are:  1) an eye-catching bright yellow bubble indicating if a resource is accessible online 2) the recommendation of relevant specialized collections and databases based on a user's search and 3) a "keep search refinements" option under the search box, which allows the user to modify their search terms without having to reset chosen filters. 

All Serials Solutions products and services comply with industry standards and adhere to many common protocols and guidelines.  Some of these include: Dublin Core, MARC, OAI-PMH, Open URL, SOAP, SRU/SRW, XML, and Z39.50.

Here is a screen shot of one of my searches on the University of Sydney's Library site:

Notice the recommendation to use the database CINAHL for nursing and health information.

Examining Summon 2.0 was a helpful way to gain a deeper understanding of how discovery tools work and which features are most valuable to the user.