Enhancing library discovery: An approach to understanding user access to electronic resources

Abstract

The exponential increase in electronic resources in parallel with the development of discovery systems has expanded the research environment for library users well beyond the traditional library catalog. In response, a large public university library grapples with the best ways to deploy research tools to provide access to the many electronic resources it licenses for its users. Library staff seek to direct users most efficiently to needed resources, to save staff time, and to contain costs. The authors used a variety of methods to gather data to support their decision making, including search log analysis, surveys of other institutions, interviews with students, and cross-departmental discussion within the institution. The library made improvements to the website and search tool interfaces as well as developed a new approach to loading MARC records for electronic resources to the library catalog, which resulted in a slimmed down catalog paired with a newly promoted discovery system. This analysis is intended to inspire other libraries to develop a more deliberate approach to providing access to electronic resources.