The Daily Bulletin Archive

With so many library resources to choose from, are you confused about where to begin your research? Good news! E. H. Butler Library has chosen Summon Web-scale discovery service to address one of the main barriers between libraries and users: the lack of an easy starting point for research. The Summon service, found on the library homepage, allows users to search all the library’s formats—books, articles, newspapers, databases, and more—from a single search box.

“Students, faculty, and staff will be able to find relevant full-text content more quickly than ever before,” said Al Riess, reference and electronic database librarian. “Search results in Summon are clearly displayed and easy for all users to comprehend. Summon search results default to content of all types and formats that Butler Library owns, so users can easily find articles, books, music, and much more.”

Summon discovery service was selected after careful consideration of available discovery tools, as well as a close look at the user experience. Based on the 2009 LibQual survey, which measures library users’ perceptions of service quality, the library determined it needed a better way to make available all the content it was offering to library users. Studies show that students and faculty prefer the quality information found in libraries, but find searching the web simpler and more straightforward. The Summon discovery service, with one search box and one results screen, mimics open web searches and delivers the content that only the library provides. Results from a Summon search are based on relevancy and not impacted by technological expertise—so even inexperienced researchers can quickly and easily access library resources.

Want to learn more? Stop by the Research Help Desk in the library’s lower lobby, or better yet, drop by for a quick demonstration. Drop-in demo sessions will be held in E. H. Butler Library 314 on the following dates (stop by anytime during the hour):

Wednesday, June 1, 10:00–11:00 a.m.
Thursday, June 2, 11:00 a.m.–noon
Wednesday, June 8, 1:00–2:00 p.m.
Thursday, June 9, 11:00 a. m.–noon

Questions? Contact Al Riess. Join us and see how much there is to discover!