Selecting and Implementing a Discovery Tool: The University of Maryland Health Sciences and Human Services Library Experience

Abstract

Staff of the University of Maryland Health Sciences and Human Services Library embarked on an investigation of discovery tools in 2010. These products provide users with the popular Google-like interface to library resources. The evaluation which included completing a checklist of desired criteria, demonstrations by vendors, and trialing live systems resulted in the purchase of EBSCO's Discovery Service (EDS). The key to its successful implementation was comprehensive testing of the tool to ascertain its usability among diverse populations, and evaluating its treatment of all types of resources. After several phases of customization, OneSearch was officially launched in April 2013.

KEYWORDS:

• discovery services evaluation
• discovery services implementation
• EBSCO discovery service
• health sciences libraries
• usability studies
• web-scale discovery services

Notes

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