1. Keeping Discovery in the Library
Ken Varnum
2 November 2011
Charleston Conference

3. Search Results
Summon Native ArticlesPlus (API)

4. ArticlesPlus Functionality
• Replicates most of Summon’s hosted site
• 360 Link is resolver
• Each citation has a permalink for
bookmarking, sharing, and error reporting
• Favorites

5. Being in the Flow
Lorcan Dempsey defines “being in
the flow” as:
• the library needs to be in the
user environment and not expect
the user to find their way to the
library environment
• integration of library resources
should not be seen as an end in
itself but as a means to better
integration with the user
environment, with workflow.
“In the flow”, 6/24/2005
http://orweblog.oclc.org/archives/000688.html
Image credit
flickr user M.H

6. Staying in Our Users’ Flow
• We want to be where our users go
• We need to be where we are
• Our users’ flow often involves the
library, so we try to add extra value
there

7. Image credit:
Flickr user aigle_dore

8. Challenges Effects
• Not all functionality of • Eliminated Ex Libris’ Metalib
Summon’s native interface • Eliminated server for
exists in API
OpenURL resolution
• Need to do extra work
– Display Web of Science
• Database searching is down
Citation Counts • Full-text downloads up
– Display LibGuide author
photos
• Ability to add functionality
• API not 100% documented

9. Adding Functionality
This is the big win….
• Favorites
• Custom searches
• Semi-permalinks
• Failure reporting
• User analysis

10. Where Next?
• Continue to build services around discovery
• Bring scoped searches to specific courses
• Move toward sharing frequently used and/or
saved resources among natural collaborators
• Continue to study search & browse usage

11. Contact Information
Ken Varnum
Web Systems Manager
University of Michigan Library
varnum@umich.edu
@varnum
lib.umich.edu/users/varnum