Resource Discovery for the Twenty-First Century Library: Case studies and perspectives on the role of IT in user engagement and empowerment

Discovery is central to academic activities at all levels and is a major focus for libraries and museums. Of all the parts of modern library provision, discovery services are the most clearly affected by developments in IT, from databases to search engines to linked data to machine learning. It is crucial to the relationship between libraries and their communities. This book will help its readers learn how to adapt in a fast changing area to continue to provide a high level of service. Resource Discovery for the Twenty-First Century Library contains a range of contributions analysing the ways in which libraries are tackling the challenges facing them in discovery in the (post)-Google era. Chapters are written by experts, both global and local – describing specific areas of discovery and local implementations and ideas. The book will help with enhancing discovery both inbound – making locally held resources globally discoverable, and outbound – making global resources locally discoverable, in ways which are relevant to your user community. Content covered includes: · a survey of what resource discovery is today · case studies from around the world of interesting approaches to discovery · analysis of how users approach discovery · how to understand and make the best use of Internet search engines · using limited resources to help users find collections · linked open data and discovery · the future of discovery. This book will be useful for subject librarians and others who give direct support to library users, digital library technicians, managers, staff with responsibility for managing electronic resources, metadata and discovery specialists, trainers and user education specialists. It will also be of use to curators and others who give direct support to researchers, managers of digitisation and cataloguing products, IT staff, trainers and user education specialists.

Table of Contents:
1 Foreword: Library Discovery Directions 2 Introduction: Technology and Resource Discovery 3 Flipping the catalogue: Taking resource discovery to the next level 4 Breaking the Record: Liberating Data into Knowledge at the National Library Board of Singapore 5 Case Study: Clearing Library Discovery-to-Access Pathways for IEEE Content 6 Case Study: Putting Discovery at the Heart of the Library Experience 7 Investigating Resource Discovery Needs at the University of Oxford 8 "Why can't you just use Google?" 9 Exposing Collections and Resources Effectively 10 Open Source Discovery Using Blacklight at the University of Hull 11 A World of Curated Knowledge: Leveraging the wider semantic web to enhance library discovery 12 Cultural Discovery: Trends and Futures 13 A Resource Discovery Dystopia 14 Discovering the Future 15 Editorial Afterword

About the Author :
Simon McLeish worked in conference organisation before the planning of an Internet conference led to work as a web designer during the dot com era. This developed into a career in digital libraries, including the development of online academic journals, research environments and authentication. Work on Shibboleth and Identity Management culminated in the production of the JISC Identity Management Toolkit and the book Access and Identity Management for Libraries (Facet, 2013). In 2013, Simon took up the post of Resource Discovery Architect for the Bodleian Libraries of the University of Oxford, and now divides his time between managing existing discovery and authentication services for the libraries and research and development.

Review :
'Knowledgeably compiled and expertly edited by Simon McLeish, "Resource Discovery for the Twenty-First Century Library" will help community and academic librarians learn how to adapt in a fast changing area to continue to provide a high level of service…Exceptionally well organized and presented, "Resource Discovery for the Twenty-First Century Library" will prove to be ideal as a curriculum textbook and is unreservedly recommended for both college and university Library Science collections.' 'Resource Discovery for the Twenty-First Century Library will also be quite useful for subject librarians and others who give direct support to library users, digital library technicians, managers, staff with responsibility for managing electronic resources, metadata and discovery specialists, trainers and user education specialists...Exceptionally well organized and presented, Resource Discovery for the Twenty-First Century Library will prove to be ideal as a curriculum textbook and is unreservedly recommended for both college and university Library Science collections.' 'If you are a cataloguer whose motivation is to work through your institution’s aching backlog but who wishes to understand the reasons behind many of the changes that have swept across our workflows, this is a great book for you.'