(Test Load) WorldCat Scope

Legend: NOT STARTED IN PROGRESS STALLED DECIDED

Recommendations

Reasoning

In progress.

Environmental Scan

In progress.

Example libraries:

• WorldCat records blended: U Buffalo SUNYhttps://search.lib.buffalo.edu/discovery/search?vid=01SUNY_BUF:everything&lang=en

• WorldCat separate search profile: Berkeley https://berkeley.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?vid=01UCS_BER:UCB&lang=en

Background

• Melvyl-like functionality for ILL is a desired feature - especially for books not held in the UC system.

• WorldCat results can be “blended” with other results, however, it doesn’t work as smoothly as we’d like.

Dependencies

Work with Resource Management FG

Questions to consider

• User needs. How much will our researchers appreciate the ability to start an ILL directly from the Primo interface?

• Common use scenarios. How do our researchers use WorldCat searching, and how well are they supported by including a separate WorldCat scope or including WorldCat records in a blended search?

  • Example scenario: WorldCat (on campuses that do not use WC Discovery) is used frequently by more advanced researchers looking for a known item that’s not available on their campus. So, for example, older, more unique monographs.

• WorldCat-only scope functionality. Primo’s search functions for WorldCat data are significantly worse than WorldCat for precision searches. (Other libraries, e.g. Northwestern, have handled this by providing a link to WorldCat instead of using Primo.)

  • No facets display in Primo.

  • No fielded searches in Primo, e.g. in WorldCat you can search ti:[title term] au:[author name].

• Quality of blended search. How well does it work?

  • It slows search results. ExLibris strongly discourages using WorldCat records in default search. (From experience, the format of a highlighted “Note” field in their documentation is deceptive. It looks mild, with subtle yellow highlighting, but in reality it means ALARM.)

    • “It is not recommended to blend third-party indexes with local and Primo Central searches in the library's default scope since this may impact the end users experience in the areas of facets and relevancy between the different indexes.“ https://knowledge.exlibrisgroup.com/Primo/Product_Documentation/020Primo_VE/Primo_VE_(English)/040Search_Configurations/010Configuring_Search_Profiles_for_Primo_VE

  • Examples of high-quality results are pending. Example: search for known title 1951 book “Argyll in the Forty-Five” in the U. Buffalo Primo scope should pull up a WorldCat record. But it doesn’t seem to. (WorldCat record docIDs start with “WorldCat.”) https://search.lib.buffalo.edu/discovery/search?query=any,contains,argyll in the forty-five&tab=UBSUNYPLUS&search_scope=UBSUNYPLUS&vid=01SUNY_BUF:everything&offset=0

Action Log