On January 9, 2011, the MARS Local Systems & Services held a Discussion Forum at the ALA Midwinter Meeting in San Diego entitled Designing Around a Single Search: How Discovery Layers are Changing Library Websites. Three panelists spoke to an audience of over 120 attendees about how they have incorporated a new discovery system into their libraries’ existing websites, including information about statistics, branding/naming and design choices.
Josh Boyer (North Carolina State University) discussed the web site redesign NCSU completed in August 2010 and its incorporation of a locally-developed metasearch solution, QuickSearch, with Serials Solutions’ Summon. Next, Beth Bernhardt (University of North Carolina, Greensboro) discussed her library’s implementation of EBSCO Discovery Service. Finally, Johan Oberg (Macalester College) discussed Macalester’s decision to prominently place a single search box for WorldCat Local on its home page, and the ensuing gains in catalog use, circulation, and interlibrary loan they observed.
The three short presentations were followed by a general Q & A. Fuller notes on the presentations and copies of each presenter’s slides can be found at:http://connect.ala.org/node/128191.
The Committee is currently planning a discussion forum on Learning Commons services for Midwinter 2012 (Dallas) and a program called Discovery Systems: The Promise and the Reality for ALA Annual 2012 in Anaheim.
Amy Fry, MARS Local Systems & Services Committee Chair
afry@bgsu.edu