A library interface that looks like Google
Jinfo Blog

28th January 2009

By Penny Crossland

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ProQuest subsidiary Serials Solution (http://www.serialssolutions.com) recently introduced its new unified discovery service called ‘The Summon’ (http://digbig.com/4yeft) to the library sector. The service, currently in beta testing with academic libraries in the US, has already received plenty of positive comments by excited librarians and information professionals, since it offers simple, browser-like searching of all of content, digital and physical found in library collections. A library-branded search box will do away with the confusion some users have in finding a starting point to their research and a single results screen will make collections simpler to use. The difference between this new product and Google, of course is that the content displayed via The Summon will be from credible sources – crucial to the academic researcher. An open API means the service can be integrated with existing library search sites. Serials Solutions are calling their new product ‘revolutionary and ‘what libraries have been dreaming of (http://digbig.com/4yehh). The Summon is seen as the product that will break down the barrier between libraries and users, especially those that are members of the ‘net generation’. Serials Solutions are planning to make The Summon available later this year and is already planning to add further features such as support for interlibrary loans and multimedia content. As somebody who has spent many years struggling to persuade professionals in the corporate world to use their in-house research centres, I could see how The Summon could also revolutionize how companies search for and use information.

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