Web-scale Discovery Service Adoption in Canadian Academic Libraries

Abstract

This study presents an overview of web-scale discovery service adoption in Canadian academic libraries. Web-scale discovery services (WSDS) have been widely embraced in Canadian academic libraries. EBSCO Discovery Service (EDS) is the most adopted system for colleges and institutes while Primo Central from Ex Libris dominates the university market for web-scale discovery services. Bundling web-scale discovery services with library services platform (LSP) implementations are increasing in Canada. This study shows that Canadian academic libraries that have migrated from a traditional integrated library system (ILS) to an LSP have also opted for their LSP vendor’s corresponding web-scale discovery service. As more Canadian academic libraries implement an LSP bundled with a web-scale discovery service, there may come a time when web-scale discovery services are no longer separated from discussions on LSPs. The choices available for LSP and web-scale discovery services are shrinking due to vendor mergers and acquisitions in this area.

A review of integrated library systems and web-scale discovery services in India

“…Vaughan (2011, pp. 6-7) In a study on Canadian adoption of web-scale discovery platforms, Wong (2020) found that bundling of ILS-WSDS was widely reported in the academic libraries with an uncertainty of their disruptive mergers and acquisitions by vendors. Roy et al (2018) demonstrated how resource discovery tool VuFind can be integrated with ILS and digital repositories to reinvent OPACs as well as in harvesting external sources, and in India, we found four institutions have taken up VuFind implementation (VuFind, 2021).…”