UT’s Hodges Library staff has worked to make the research process easier for UT students with several new modifications to the library’s Web site and online catalog.
The library’s Web site provides a portal which students can search for resources by title, author or topic of their choice. Students can instantly gain access to all the materials available pertaining to their search, as well as their locations within the library.
The new improvements to the library’s Web site have been created to further simplify searches through the vast catalog of materials the library houses. While the Web site has certainly changed in appearance, other changes have been made to the structure of the library’s search engine.
“We have a powerful new search engine that overlays our catalog and other online resources,” Martha Rudolph, communications coordinator for the library, said.
She said this new search engine involves a cutting-edge “discovery and delivery platform” that supports instantaneous feedback from the immense library catalog.
Prominently displayed on the homepage, the “simple search box” provides students and faculty with an immediate and comprehensive search of the entire library catalog. This search delivers various forms of sources simultaneously, allowing the student a broader range of options for research.
“The single search box is a popular feature for those who want to see the kinds of resources available on a topic,” Linda Phillips, head of the library’s Scholarly Communication Department, said. “Searchers who know the source they want to use can get to it quickly too.”
This new search method also delivers options to refine the search according to individual preferences along with search results.
These new improvements are the products of the Virtual Library Steering Committee, which has met since February to discuss ideas for developing a more efficient Web site. The committee also hosted multiple focus group discussions to understand the needs of UT students and faculty. The VLSC works to generate ideas for increasing the efficiency of library research as well as to discuss and learn from methods used by other universities.
For continuing improvement, the committee has developed several goals for the upcoming year that include prioritizing refinements to the site and researching emerging developments in virtual library services. A major goal involves creating accessibility to the library catalog and homepage for students on the go, without access to the computer.
“One of our first priorities is to make the library services and collections easily accessible on mobile devices,” Phillips said.
The faculty and staff of the library are working to improve the research experience at UT, consolidating emerging technology with the desires of the student body.
“We think students will be thrilled with these changes, and we want them to explore all the new search features,” Rudolph said.
