Western Libraries has made changes to its website, introducing a new search engine called Summon.
Summon is being introduced as a result of feedback gathered from library users in Spring 2010 through the LibQual+ survey. At that time, survey results indicated users often had difficulty determining the best place to search for information through the library website owing to the sheer number of products on offer. With hundreds of databases to choose from, plus the Shared Library Catalogue, Western Libraries sought a solution to streamline user discovery of library resources.
As the default search engine on the library website, Summon provides users with the ability to search and retrieve full-text content from hundreds of academic publishers across disciplines plus the full contents of the Shared Library Catalogue. You can find out more about Summon through our ‘About Summon‘ page which includes a link to full content and coverage lists for Summon.
While Summon offers a simplified search experience for academic library content individual stand-alone database products continue to be an important part of Western Libraries’ collections. Users can continue to find and search individual databases through the library website. The Shared Library Catalogue is also available as a stand-alone search and may be accessed through the ‘Catalogue’ button found in the upper left hand corner of the library website or through the ‘Catalogue’ tab found beside the Summon tab in the centre of the site.
Western Libraries welcomes feedback from their users on Summon and will be undertaking formal assessment throughout the academic year on this new service.