New Library Search Service
The library’s new search service does not replace the library’s existing services such as Josiah (library catalog) or database and ejournal lists. What distinguishes the new service is the ability to search across previously separate systems from a single search box and get back fast and relevant results. These “Everything” results appear side-by-side and come from two large data sets, one for locally indexed resources and one for the library’s electronic subscription resources. Each side (“Books+” and “Articles”) can be filtered by subject, author, format, language, date and many other facets. Each can be searched separately with a simple or advanced search; navigation tabs provide an easy flow among the three options.
What’s (well, almost) “Everything”?
- Books+:
- full content of Josiah, the library catalog (over 3 million records)
- full content of the library’s local, digitized collections (over 57,000 digital objects)
- electronic dissertations from the Brown Digital Repository (BDR) (many other collections to come)
- library resource guides compiled by subject specialist librarians
- Articles:
- full-text articles, book chapters, and other electronic content from the library’s subscription resources (85% of our subscription holdings; 230 million full-text items; over half a billion items if you choose the option to “include articles at other libraries”.
What’s not included in this service?
If you need to see Josiah course reserves, view your Josiah account, renew, request, or recall material you will need to use Josiah, the traditional library catalog. A listing of resources included in the Articles service is available from Serials Solutions.
What’s new about this service?
In “Books+”, a “Request” button for checked out items will pass a search for your item directly to our easyBorrow service. You can browse the entire contents of "Books+" by author, subject, genre ,region, era and other filters. In “Articles” you are now able to search across 85% of the library’s vast subscription resources and get fast results that lead you directly to full text. Both options have robust facets that allow you to narrow and filter your search to make finding what you need much easier.
What software runs this service?
“Books+” is a local implementation of open source software VuFind developed at Villanova University and in use by over 50 institutions worldwide. “Articles” is commercial software known as “Summon” and sold by Serials Solutions.