Hi Nara,

Sadly this is not available for free for me at least at this site, is it 
available elsewhere?

Thanks, Robin.

Robin Taylor
Main Library
University of Edinburgh
________________________________________
From: Code for Libraries <CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU> on behalf of Newcomer, Nara 
L. <newcom...@umkc.edu>
Sent: 11 February 2014 16:54
To: CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU
Subject: [CODE4LIB] New article on discovery tool evaluation

If you need to evaluate a discovery tool, allow me to recommend Rebecca 
Belford's just-published article "Evaluating Library Discovery Tools Through a 
Music Lens" Library Resources & Technical Service, V. 58, no. 1 (2014), p. 
49-72. Available here, http://alcts.metapress.com/content/h608575u926r6886/  
and soon in various aggregator databases.

Don't be put off by "music" in the title - the paper provides a practical 
method anyone can use to put a discovery tool through the paces. It is full of 
examples of what to test, specific searches to use, how to interpret the 
results, and why. Appendix A is a checklist of what to search and Appendix B 
systematically provides actual sample searches.

It is an excellent companion to the Music Discovery Requirements 
http://committees.musiclibraryassoc.org/ETSC/MDR  (Of which, full disclaimer, I 
was the lead author and Rebecca Belford was a co-author.) The Music Discovery 
Requirements outlines discovery needs for music materials. Rebecca's article 
details how to evaluate an existing discovery tool's performance.

The abstract:
"This paper outlines how to use specialized cataloging to evaluate discovery 
tools for library collections. An awareness of the capability offered by 
bibliographic records and data for specialized materials enables libraries to 
conduct their own evaluation of a discovery tool's functionality for complex 
materials. Bibliographic records for materials such as music are excellent for 
putting a discovery tool through rigorous testing. This paper may be used to 
facilitate evaluation of discovery tools by those without music cataloging 
expertise, and it provides a ready supply of examples to quickly identify 
complex search strategies."

-Nara

Nara Newcomer
Head of Music/Media Library | Adjunct Associate Professor, Conservatory of 
Music and Dance
University of Missouri-Kansas City | G03C Miller Nichols Library
800 E. 51st St. | Kansas City, MO 64110-2499
p: 816-235-1679 | f: 816-333-5584
https://www.facebook.com/groups/umkcmusicmedialibrary/

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Scotland, with registration number SC005336.

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