November 4, 2009 (CHARLESTON) – Just four months after the commercial launch of its Summon web-scale discovery service, Serials Solutions, a business unit of ProQuest, has launched a mobile application that enables instant searching of the breadth of a library’s collection from a smart phone. Now, users of any library with the Summon service can search and retrieve digital content, such as full-text articles, and locate physical materials all from a single search box on their iPhone, Blackberry, Android, Palm or Windows Mobile.
"The mobile app is absolutely central to the Summon service’s mission to break down barriers between users and libraries. It’s been part of the planning from the outset," said Jane Burke, Serials Solutions Vice-President. "Now, the content that libraries have so carefully collected and funded can be found simply and beamed to users anytime, anyplace. It puts the library – and all its content riches – within reach of users no matter they are."
True to the Summon service’s commitment to simplicity for users, the app is automatic: users simply point their phone’s browser at their library’s live Summon site and the app downloads instantly. From there, they simply key a term in the Summon search box and instantly retrieve relevant results that span the gamut from print to digital. It’s the latest innovation from the rapidly-developing and pioneering service, which is the first and only available web-scale technology that enables single searchbox access to the breadth of the library’s content – from books and videos to e-resources at the article level.
"The Summon mobile app fits perfectly with our vision to reach students where they are and we can put it to work today," said Laura Harris, Web Services Librarian at Grand Valley State University, which launched the first live Summon site in August. "Our users connect to the library with a number of mobile devices and now they’ll be able to very simply search and retrieve content, too."
The Summon service is backed by an all-new technology architecture and a mega-index of content – about half a billion records from more than 6,000 publishers. In fact, Grand Valley State University has tested the content for its ability to effectively represent the breadth of academic libraries. Their findings reveal that the Summon service captures 99% of their top 100 downloaded titles from EBSCO’s Academic Search Premier, 100% of their top 50 JSTOR titles and 100% of their top 50 titles from OCLC databases.
This web-scale discovery service provides a simple, obvious starting point for library searches, completely integrating physical and digital items in the library’s local catalog and purchased content. The Summon service provides simplicity for users and exposes the breadth of the library’s content, allowing more resources to be discovered – a boon for libraries who want to get more from collection investments and compete more effectively with Open Web search tools.
The Summon web-scale discovery service is hosted by Serials Solutions. To learn more visit http://www.serialssolutions.com/summon.
About Serials Solutions
Founded by a librarian for librarians in 2000, Serials Solutions is the global leader in E-Resource Access and Management Services (ERAMS) that serves more than 2,000 libraries of all sizes and types. Serials Solutions KnowledgeWorks, the authoritative e-resource knowledgebase, is the foundation for Serials Solutions 360, the only complete and integrated e-resource access and management solution. Serials Solutions recently introduced the Summon web-scale discovery service, a revolutionary tool that provides instant access to the full breadth of the library’s collection through a single search.
Serials Solutions also is the exclusive source for Ulrichsweb.com and Ulrich's Serials Analysis System worldwide, and represents the AquaBrowser Library unified discovery interface in the academic market in North America. The WebFeat federated search service recently acquired by ProQuest soon will be incorporated into the Serials Solutions family of access and discovery services.
Serials Solutions provides fast implementation, easy customization, and outstanding value to libraries throughout the world. For more information, please visit www.serialssolutions.com or call 1-866-SERIALS. Serials Solutions is a business unit of ProQuest LLC.