SRU’s Bailey Library to expand catalog search capabilities
Beginning April 28, Slippery Rock University’s Bailey Library will offer an expanded search service that will offer students, faculty and researchers access to more resources through an efficient, one-search function that ranks the most relevant results. The online resource will be available to users on- or off-campus by visiting sru.edu/discovery.
April 27, 2017
SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. - A more powerful search capability is coming to Slippery Rock University's Bailey Library. Beginning April 28, the library will offer an expanded search service that will offer students, faculty and researchers access to more results through an efficient, one-search function.
The online resource will be available to users on- or off-campus by visiting: sru.edu/discovery.
"Users can 'discover' more all at once by searching our catalog, databases and electronic collections simultaneously," said Allison Brungard, Bailey Library's STEM and electronic access librarian who led the implementation of the new service. "Like Google for the library, you can search almost anything from a single interface, and results are shown based on relevancy ranking."
The existing library catalog search will remain in place through the end of May from a link on the Bailey Library homepage under 'Related Links,' before being completely replaced by the new search service later this summer.
"Nothing will change with our databases we have available," Brungard added. "This is an enhancement."
Users will be able to use the one search feature to view the library's physical assets, such as books and journals, and its digital content, such as e-books, on-demand video and full-text articles from nearly 200 academic research databases. Additionally, the new search solution is mobile friendly, allowing easier navigation from mobile devices, and offers built-in functionality such as a citation generator and a virtual book shelf where individuals can browse the library's physical collections without leaving their computers.
The Bailey Library staff will continue to be available to respond to users' needs.
The switch to the new service is taking place across all members of the Keystone Library Network, a consortium of libraries in Pennsylvania's State System of Higher Education, although each institution has its own resources.
In addition to Brungard, three other library faculty members were part of the "discovery search" implementation team: Aiping Chen-Gaffey, bibliographic services librarian; Heather Getsay, resource acquisitions librarian; and Martina Malvasi-Haines, systems librarian.
For questions about the new search function, contact Brungard at 724.738.2638 or allison.brungard@sru.edu.
MEDIA CONTACT: Justin Zackal | 724.738.4854 | justin.zackal@sru.edu