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Enhancing User Experience in Metasearching: Strategies for Modern Libraries

Most users aim to find relevant information through a single search but often struggle with navigating multiple databases and understanding specific search options. This presentation discusses the current state of metasearching—including its evolution, challenges, and the implications for library instruction. It emphasizes the need for user-friendly search systems that centralize metadata and streamline the search process. Libraries must adapt to the changing landscape of information access and focus on fostering critical information skills rather than just teaching database mechanics.

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Enhancing User Experience in Metasearching: Strategies for Modern Libraries

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  1. Once and Future Metasearching Roy Tennant California Digital Library

  2. The Problem • Most users want to find everything useful with one search • But our systems require them to know: • How to select one or more databases • How to get to them • How to use the unique search options for each • How can we create systems that minimize what the user needs to know to get what they want?

  3. The Metasearch Solution • Just-in-time searching of multiple sources • Also called cross-database searching • Federated searching: just-in-case • Metasearching is far from perfect • It is only one tool among many • It does not replace searching individual databases for some users and purposes

  4. Content Discovery Principles* • Only librarians like to search, everyone else prefers to find • One place to search is better than two or more • “Good enough” is just that • What is not searched is as important as what is • If you can’t centralize metadata, centralize searching * First hit of Google search: “digital library integration principles”

  5. The State of Metasearch: Overview • Many database vendors still do not support a search protocol • Software still in early stages • Market still in upheaval • Most libraries still learning from early implementations • Google, Microsoft now big players

  6. The State of Metasearch: The Landscape Elsevier Google California DigitalLibrary Publishers Indexers/Aggregators Portal Providers Libraries Software Vendors Users

  7. The State of Metasearch:The Tyranny of Numbers • Number of resources being searched • Number of results being returned by each resource • Number of simultaneous users X * Y * Z = potential disaster!

  8. First Generation • Out-of-the-box interface with minimal customization • “One-stop-shopping” model • “Shotgun” searching • No added-value services for specific clientele or purposes (e.g., UMNs Assignment Calculator)

  9. /V interface

  10. 2nd Generation • Using the metasearch application as a service, not a destination • Creating search tools tailored to specific audiences and/or purposes • Highly tailored interface • Better integration with other systems and services

  11. XML Metalib Databases http Your Application * Slide courtesy of David Walker, CSU San Marcos

  12. * Slide courtesy of David Walker, CSU San Marcos

  13. * Slide courtesy of David Walker, CSU San Marcos

  14. * Slide courtesy of David Walker, CSU San Marcos

  15. * Slide courtesy of David Walker, CSU San Marcos

  16. Third Generation • As many resources locally integrated as possible • More resources available via API • One-stop shopping — system organizes itself around user’s query • Useful ranking • Post-search clustering and enhanced browsing

  17. Windows Live Academic

  18. Google Scholar

  19. $30 from SpringerLink $40 from Ingenta Not available except by person account or site license $30 from SpringerLink FREE

  20. A Brief History of Finding Info • 30 years ago: only print, very difficult and time consuming • 20 years ago: arcane, mediated online searching of many commercial DBs, CD-ROMs • 10 years ago: unmediated online searching of many commercial DBs • 1 year ago: easy, unmediated online searching of one free source • Tomorrow?

  21. In Summary • Metasearching (both library and commercial) still primitive • But… quickly improving • Soon (if not already) databases will be irrelevant from the user’s perspective • We no longer control access to information (there are huge players in this space) • Either we get good in the finding game, or we get gone

  22. Implications for Instruction • We live in an age where even idiots can find good stuff! • So on what should we focus?

  23. Implications for Instruction • Stop teaching mechanics and databases as soon as possible • Work on building systems and tools that don’t require instruction to use • Focus on fostering critical information skills • Craft key messages and deliver them consistently and ubiquitously across the library

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