What Does it Take to Make Discovery a Success?: A Survey of Discovery Tool Adoption, Instruction, and Evaluation Among Academic Libraries

ABSTRACT

Discovery tools have been widely adopted by academic libraries, yet little information exists that connects common practices regarding discovery tool implementation, maintenance, assessment, and staffing with conventions for research and instruction. The authors surveyed heads of reference and instruction departments in research and land-grant university libraries. The survey results revealed common practices with discovery tools among academic libraries. This study also draws connections between operational, instructional, and assessment practices and perceptions that participants have of the success of their discovery tool. Participants who indicated successful implementation of their discovery tool hailed from institutions that made significant commitments to the operations, maintenance, and acceptance of their discovery tool. Participants who indicated an unsuccessful implementation, or who were unsure about the success of their implementation, did not make lasting commitments to the technical maintenance, operations, and acceptance of their discovery tool.

KEYWORDS:

• academic libraries
• assessment
• attitudes
• discovery tools
• faculty
• information literacy
• librarians
• library instruction
• research
• technical support
• undergraduates

Acknowledgments

The survey instrument for this study was designed, and the data calculations were processed, with the assistance of University of Vermont Statistics Consultant Alan Howard.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Aaron F. Nichols

Aaron Nichols is Access/Media Services Librarian at the University of Vermont, where he provides leadership and management for the Circulation, Multimedia Services, and Interlibrary Loan departments. Aaron is also active in the oversight and administration of the discovery tool and leads usability initiatives for online library resources.

Emily Crist

Emily Crist is the Experience Design Librarian at Champlain College in Burlington, Vermont, where she adopts an evidence-based approach to design, implement and assess impactful library user experiences. With the teaching librarian team, she also works to design and deliver course-embedded information literacy instruction.

Graham Sherriff

Graham Sherriff is Instructional Design Librarian at the University of Vermont, where he participates in the administration of the UVM libraries' discovery tool and other web services. He also provides leadership in the adoption and use of digital learning objects and technologies for instruction and research.

Megan Allison

Megan Allison provides administrative and technical support for the Information and Instruction Services department at the Bailey Howe Library, University of Vermont; she supports faculty, staff and students at the reference desk, assists with reference collection maintenance, and provides instruction to visiting community, extramural and high school groups.