Sponsored Content FederatedFederated SearchSearch For Your Library and in Your Enterprise

Thanks to the sponsors who helped to bring you this issue of Computers in Libraries.

Swets Gale Ex Libris Information Building a Better Discover: It’s Not Primo Discovery Today, Inc. Search Query About Federated and Delivery— Taming Multiple Through Content Mining Search, it’s About Beyond the OPAC Search Engines Discovery A Unified Interface for In Your Organization Finding and Getting All Library Resources By Jean Bedord Sponsored Content Building a Better Search Query Through Content Mining

Federated Search Alone Is Not the The quality of returned search results is Searcher application, including databases Complete Answer also driven by the effectiveness of the user’s not indexed by web search engines. With the amount of online information search query—something federated search Terms and phrases are mined and rapidly expanding and residing in increasingly on its own does not address. A user’s first weighted according to where they occur disparate sources, organizations need a way to search query frequently produces results in the document. For example, terms from simplify how their users discover and access sets that are not the best, or are completely important fields, such as title, are given a the information they need. Federated search unrelated to their research needs. This is higher weight than those found only in the is designed to help organizations meet this compounded by user search behavior that is description of a record. Term weight is then challenge, enabling users to simultaneously conditioned by web keyword searching. Users represented visually by font size—the more search multiple sources and quickly obtain often begin with very broad search queries, important the term, the bigger and bolder its relevant results using a single search query. relying on the speed and extensive indexes of font—making it easy for users to identify the Yet federated search on its own can often internet search engines, revising their query best terms for refining or expanding their lead to information overload, making it time- based on the results they see returned. search query. consuming and difficult for users to locate the Because the most relevant results are often The number of results where a term is most relevant information. We will examine how not in the initial results set, categorization and found is also displayed next to the term, SwetsWise Searcher combines content mining grouping tools are not always useful. Presented and a value is applied to each occurrence capability with federated search to offer the most with the grouping, the user drills into the result of the term within a document, with effective solution. More than just a categorization set, only to find it is not the information they higher values assigned to more important tool, content mining does not force categories on needed. In addition, categories can rely on fields. This method produces a weight users, but instead “mines” content and guides taxonomies or other pre-indexed material and reflecting the actual content of the result, users to build the most effective search query often do not help users generate the most rather than a weight simply reflecting the for the most relevant results. effective search query. title or tag of the result. By showing both All of this leads to users searching over term weight and result count, users can Why the Content Mining Approach and over, refining each search query until easily distinguish results where the target Was Developed they achieve better results—a time-consuming terms are central from those where the Developers of the content mining feature query/search/re-query process. Furthermore, terms simply occur frequently or are recognized several issues with standard this process is more difficult to reproduce included as minor points. As a result, federated search options. As they analyzed with bibliographic, citation, and full-text users can focus on major or minor ideas the offerings, they realized that introducing the databases. within a results set. ability to simultaneously search multiple sources Users can choose to display the mined can quickly lead to information overload. Users A Better Search Query for More and weighted terms in a list or cloud view are confronted with sorting through lists of Relevant Results —a methodology familiar to many users, hundreds, even thousands of search results, SwetsWise Searcher’s unique content as it is often utilized in blog sites and with relevant information buried among mining functionality “mines” terms and interactive forums that incorporate Web randomly scattered topics. They spend an phrases from content retrieved “on the fly.” 2.0 methodologies. They can then easily immense amount of time and effort browsing, It then analyzes the terms and produces select one or more terms to refine their analyzing, and interpreting the results. a term weight, determining the relative initial search within the existing results Along with wasted productivity, information importance of that term within that set set, or create an entirely new search, overload negatively impacts the quality of of results. This content mining process enabling them to quickly and effectively research. Time forces users to ignore many is completely independent of other “drill down” or “expand out” without results, and they miss critical information that categorization products and does not starting over. As a result, content mining is buried in random lists. It also prevents rely on taxonomies or other pre-indexed guides users to intuitively build the most discovery of new content and relationships material. In addition, it is applied to content effective search query to obtain the most that are relevant to users’ research. from all sources searched with the SwetsWise relevant results.

S2 MAY 2008 Sponsored Content

9. Using the “Threshold” bar, the user can also filter terms by weight, enabling them to remove terms below a desired weight from the display. 10. By selecting one or more terms shown in the list, the user can choose to either refine their search within the existing results set, or create a new search outside of the original results set. The user can also conduct the new search Content Mining Demonstration 6. The user can also click “More Options” using all of the terms in the query, or any 1. A search query for “alternative energy” is entered. to display additional tools that help refine single term in the query. In this example, the 2. In the initial content mining view, mined and the search. user chose to refine—or “drill down”—within weighted terms are listed in the “Refine your the existing results set. Results” window. MORE OPTIONS 11. A new window now appears containing the new 3. The default list is sorted by weight, with terms of 7. Terms are displayed in a cloud view by results that include the selected term or greater weight appearing in a larger font size. By default. The user can also choose to display combination of terms. Both the original search selecting the “Alphabetic” link, the user can also the terms as a list, as shown in the earlier query and the terms used to refine the query are sort the list alphabetically. initial view. clearly displayed. Also note that the list of mined 4. The user can also adjust the font sizes in the 8. By default, terms are once again sorted by and weighted terms has changed, reflecting the “Refine your Results” window by using the zoom weight, with terms of greater weight appearing “on the fly” analysis of content within this new control buttons. in a larger font size. The user can also sort the results set. 5. By clicking on one or more terms shown in the terms alphabetically or by the number of list and selecting the "refine" button, the user counts. A term’s count refers to the number of Greater Productivity and Improved Research can refine their search within the existing results results where that term is found. The greatest To be most effective, federated search set. A new window will appear containing the number of term counts does not necessarily requires a tool that helps users more easily results that include the selected term or result in the greatest term weight, as survey the information landscape, improves combination of terms. explained earlier in the article. relevancy of results, and leads to content discovery. SwetsWise Searcher addresses this need by applying content mining to the federated search environment. This combination of technologies results in an extremely powerful method for conducting more effective research, guiding users to build the most effective search query for the most relevant results. Users become more productive and are able to make better decisions during their research process, as they are less likely to overlook relevant information that is otherwise buried in long lists of randomly scattered topics.

To learn more, visit WWW.SWETS.COM or contact SWETS at 800-645-6595.

This article has been brought to you by the publishers of EContent: Creating, Distributing, and Managing Digital Content.

MAY 2008 S3 Sponsored Content Discover: It’s Not About Federated Search, it’s About Discovery.

Federated Search does not have to be expensive, hard to install, slow to load and impossible to use. In collaboration with Groxis, Gale’s PowerSearch Plus changes the game Launched in January of 2008, Gale collaborated with Groxis, an established San Francisco technology company to launch one of the most easy to use, easy to install, and affordable search tools available. As an enhancement to Gale’s PowerSearch platform, which is installed in 60,000 libraries across the world, PowerSearch Plus allows libraries to access all Gale databases, library catalogues, databases from other vendors, and websites in one environment. While some call this federated search, PowerSearch Plus is really a great deal more. In developing this tool, Gale and Groxis decided to take a different approach. PowerSearch Plus is not intended to be a final destination. It’s more of a portal that ▲ ▲ allows patrons to easily find and access all ▲ the great resources found in a library -- whether print or electronic. While it offers strong search technology, accurate Filter by source, Clusters to help Results ranked by domain, date or refine results relevance clustering and visual representation of keyword results, usage reporting and more, PowerSearch Plus makes it easier for views this as a utility, and Groxis has created This unique offering has already been patrons to find your catalogue, databases a tool that is significantly easy to use and installed in scores of libraries. By listening to and vetted websites. The hope is, through install, Gale is able to provide a subscription users and customers, and developing these this discovery, they will come back time and to this federated access at a cost that is tools to addresses their specific needs, time again to these resources when they nominal compared to other federated search accolades follow. PowerSearch Plus the only have specific needs. In contrast, they will installations. It’s completely flexible, with full library search tool to be named a 2008 use PowerSearch Plus when they don’t administrative capabilities that allow libraries CODIE finalist. The PowerSearch platform know where to start. to make changes to defaults daily. This was recently awarded its second “Most Currently, federated search installations makes it available and reasonable for libraries Improved Product” award in a row by the can be long, rigid processes that cost of all sizes and all budgets. It’s about equal Charleston Advisor. We expect to win that significant budget dollars. Because Gale access, after all. award every year.

1) Choose the databases and library catalogues you want to connect to. Gale does not How easy is it to set up charge you for searching websites or Gale databases. 2) Specify your defaults -- the number of databases you want to search every time, the PowerSearch Plus? length of time to wait for each search, the number of results returned, etc. 3) Add a search box to your web page. 4) In hours, you’re done.

Call Gale 1-800-347-4253 or visit www.gale.com/powersearch for more information.

S4 MAY 2008 Sponsored Content Primo Discovery and Delivery— Beyond the OPAC A unified interface for finding and getting all library resources

eather strides quickly into her usual discovered via the Ex Libris™ MetaLib® of the information he needed during his haunt, looking around anxiously to premier metasearch solution, complement college years. Hensure that her favorite seat is still local data. Integrated with Primo, MetaLib vacant before pulling out her laptop and provides a coherent, one-stop information Using MetaLib, Justin was able to search getting down to writing her report. There are environment. MetaLib also runs as a stand- multiple heterogeneous resources at one only two days left to complete this challenging alone product with its own user interface. time. The button providing access to the assignment. All around her, fellow students Ex Libris SFX® link resolver enabled him hunker over their laptops, feverishly gathering Just as she finishes the first section of to link to the full text of articles. The SFX research material. Heather draws a deep her paper, Heather’s older brother, Justin, button could also be found in many breath and savors the reassuring aromas: stops by. He graduated from the same college information resources, such as PubMed® coffee, cinnamon rolls, croissants. What five years ago and is in awe of the changes or ScienceDirect™. happened to the smell of print and leather that have taken place in library services in book bindings? The university library is such a short time. Justin remembers his By the mid-2000s, MetaLib’s still there, but Heather and her peers are freshman year in college. He and his capabilities were expanded through accessing its collections from their favorite classmates used on-campus workstations the development and adoption of new coffee shop via their library’s Primo® to search for research material from the library and industry standards such discovery and delivery system, which can library catalog and other information sources. as SRU/SRW and NISO MXG. be accessed from the browser search box, iGoogle home page, and college portal. This search method was quite time Heather and Justin order another coffee consuming, as searching had to be done and decide to share a dessert, imagining Primo offers Heather a single, intuitive one resource at a time. To use resources how easy it will be for their children to find interface for finding all the information she effectively, students had to familiarize scholarly information when they go to college. needs from diverse resources such as books, themselves with each and every one. Once In actuality they realize that the revolution e-books, print and electronic articles, Web a reference to an article of interest was found, is really not that far away. If the world has pages, and digital media from both local and it was often difficult to locate the article, since gone from searching for print journals in the remote collections. The findings are enriched it typically resided in a different resource library’s collection to accessing all types of by a mashup of additional data, such as from the one with the reference—and no information using Primo in just a few short abstracts, tables of contents, and book jacket direct link to the article was provided. years, Heather and Justin can be sure that images, so Heather is spared a search in more changes will soon follow. multiple systems. Primo groups search The development of metasearch results by facets, enabling Heather to tag engines, enabling users to search multiple The OpenURL standard (Now NISO and comment on them for her own benefit local and remote resources simultaneously, Z39.88-2004) was originally developed and for that of other users. and OpenURL link resolvers, providing by Herbert Van de Sompel, then of Ghent context-sensitive links to articles’ full text University in Belgium (currently at the Los Local library data, such as the library and other library-defined services, such Alamos National Laboratory); Oren Beit-Arie catalog, digital collections, and course as print holdings in the library catalog, of Ex Libris; and Patrick Hochstenbach. To management systems, is harvested and document-delivery forms, reference find out more about the OpenURL standard, indexed through the Primo publishing managers, and copyright clearance, made see http://www.niso.org/standards/resources/ platform. Remote resources, seamlessly it much easier for Justin to access most OpenURL_FAQ.html.

MAY 2008 S5 Sponsored Content Taming Multiple Search Engines In Your Organization By Jean Bedord

ne-size-fits-all enterprise search is Thus, many companies face more than subsets of content for job functions is the dead—if it ever existed. At the same the already challenging issue of managing domain of management, not technology. Otime, search that makes an a single search engine: As the number of Security complicates search. Privacy organization’s assets more readily accessible solutions deployed within an organization of employee records is essential, though has become a critical mission. Customers, increases, distinct issues emerge in reconciling employee benefit information should be made partners, and employees all expect to be able these disparate solutions. The major problem is available to everyone. Access to customer to “find answers” via search technologies. that each search product builds indexes to the records may prove useful for certain job Thus, organizations increasingly deploy existing content using a “secret sauce” that’s functions, but it may be regulated by federal search engines to help satisfy these incompatible with other vendor indexes. Thus, and state laws. Access to trade secrets is expectations. These engines are typically finding answers across different application typically restricted to those with a need to called site search, department search, intranet repositories, each with its own index, is not a know. Real-time identification of fraudulent search, or application search, rather than straightforward proposition. transactions may be mission critical. Thus, enterprise search. access and security policies need to be However, the fact is that organizations Strategic Planning for Search in place before unleashing the power of that have one search application usually have One enterprise search myth is that all search technology. several. A 2007 enterprise search survey I did information in the organization should be for the publisher of the Enterprise Search accessible via search. Organizational content, Technology Planning for Multiple Vendors Sourcebook, Information Today, Inc., and my however, is more difficult than the relatively Another myth of enterprise search is the employer, Shore Communications, found that simple world of consumer search on the open feasibility of standardizing on a single search 62% of respondents had more than one web, which is primarily HTML webpages and vendor. Search engine software creates search solution in place. Noted industry unstructured content. Information created proprietary indexes and relevancy ranking, analyst Steve Arnold reports that the typical and controlled by the organization is complex, with each having different strengths and Fortune 500 company uses solutions by at from the content perspective and the weaknesses. Products from the same least five search vendors. technology perspective. company, say IBM or Autonomy, do not This proliferation (and multiplicity) may There are some facts to consider about necessarily provide compatible upgrade paths not be obvious, even to those within the content and how it relates to search functions: as search applications grow. There are some companies deploying the solutions, since The value of content within the simple facts every company must face when responsibility for search strategy is frequently organization varies. Indexing a server that attempting to reconcile search solutions: undefined within the organization. One reason contains years of cafeteria menus is a waste Legacy systems are part of the search for this is because search doesn’t exist of resources, creating yet more information landscape. Many business intelligence and independent of the content that is being overload. Indexing technical reports content management vendors integrate accessed. It creeps in with add-ons to content representing the intellectual capital of years search into their product suites with OEM management systems (CMSs), business of R&D, thus enabling idea discovery, has relationships with enterprise search intelligence (BI) applications, records potentially high ROI. Improved findability for companies. This ensures best-of-breed management, document management, or ecommerce companies, particularly those functionality within the suite, but not knowledge management systems. In addition, with large product catalogs, can result in necessarily between vendor suites. ecommerce systems with baked-in search increased sales. Mergers and acquisitions play havoc with capabilities can add to the growing number of Job functions require different content. standardization. Acquiring a company is search vendors used by an organization. As an A financial analyst may need current sales by based on business fundamentals, not independent application, search can be tuned product line, even down to the individual part compatibility of software systems. Provided the to specific business-process needs, which number. Customers and partners want data existing systems work well at the application means it comes in many guises. sheets with technical specifications. Defining level, there is little ROI in switching search

S6 MAY 2008 Sponsored Content software. However, the consolidation of Here are some issues that must be cards. Search technology alone doesn’t solve software as search companies are acquired considered: the job of interpreting the query to provide by major players can result in product Records management is an underappreciated relevant answers. “orphans,” leaving your organization aspect of search. Regulatory compliance and Managing expectations is a major without support. ordinary retention schedules should be part challenge for search implementations within Federated search needs to be part of of managing business risk. Indexes exist the enterprise. Search is a tool to provide the technology plan. Federated search refers separately from the content, so they have their answers to problems. Finding those answers to the capability to search multiple indexes own update schedule. Overnight or weekly— across enterprise repositories requires a without creating yet another index. Also called rather than real-time—updates can make higher level of relevance than open web meta-, blended, or universal search, this search results appear out-of-date. Search consumer search, yet the underlying content capability can be implemented in various technology makes misspelled, noncompliant, structure is more complex and access is ways: real-time federated searching using and dirty data glaringly obvious. more constrained. Just as there are no on-the-fly queries, portals, webpage mashups, Indexes grow as the numbers of records one-size-fits-all answers to organizational or structured top-50 queries. Implementation applications grow. Index files vary in size questions, enterprise search is not one-size- is highly dependent on access and security but can be an additional 50% to 200% fits-all, and most organizations will need to requirements, which can vary with each larger than the size of the primary data manage multiple solutions to supply the of the underlying content repositories. files, depending on the expansion factors. different answers individuals seek. Scalability of the search solution should Care and Feeding of Indexes be a major consideration in selection JEAN BEDORD ([email protected]) is a findability and Search engine indexes and the information and implementation. search consultant with EContent Strategies, senior analyst at Shore Communications, Inc., and faculty retrieved from enterprise repositories rely on the Relevancy of search results depends on lecturer at San Jose State University. Her report on accuracy of the underlying data. Maintaining context, not popularity. The purchasing “Enterprise Search Deployment, Usage, and Trends” is integrity of the applications that create content department may work with a dozen available at www.enterprisesearchcenter.com/Reports/ is crucial for business decision making, yet “business card” vendors worldwide. A Details.aspx?ResearchReportsID=38.] organizations typically underestimate the time “business card” query for most individuals and effort it takes to maintain clean and in an organization, however, means a short This article has been brought to you by the publishers of relevant content repositories. how-to procedure for ordering new business Enterprise Search: Deployment, Usage, and Trends.

NEW primary market research from respected analyst Jean Bedord

Enterprise Search Deployment, Usage, and Trends

Search engine applications have become an essential part of the information landscape in today’s enterprises. From major corporations to startup companies in government and academic institutions, search engines have been pushed into the spotlight as the “go-to” technology to pull corporate information assets into a common framework.

Information Today, Inc., Shore Communications, Inc., and respected analyst Jean Bedord recently completed an in-depth study of the dynamic enterprise search marketplace. More than 250 search professionals - users, buyers, and champions of the technology - provided unique insight into the trends driving and shaping enterprise search. This primary market research was supplemented by in-person interviews with representatives of market leading vendors. Available in PDF for $495 (USD).

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MAY 2008 S7 Sponsored Content SPONSORS

Swets Phone: 1-856-312-2690 160 Ninth Avenue Toll Free: 1-800-645-6595 P.O. Box 1459 Fax: 856-312-2000 Runnemede, NJ 08078 Email: [email protected] www.swets.com

Gale Cengage Learning Phone: 1-800-877-4253 27500 Drake Road Fax: 1-877-363-4253 Farmington Hills, MI 48331 Email: [email protected] www.gale.com

Ex Libris Phone: 847-296-2200 1350 E. Touhy Avenue Toll Free: 1-800-762-6300 Suite 200E Fax: 847-296-5636 Des Plaines, IL 60018 Email: [email protected] www.exlibrisgroup.com

Information Today, Inc. Phone: 609-654-6266 143 Old Marlton Pike Fax: 609-654-4309 Medford, NJ 08055 Email: [email protected] www.infotoday.com

Michael V. Zarrello Advertising Director 609-654-6266 x132 [email protected] www.infotoday.com

MAY 2008