An investigation into use of Summon at the Durban University of Technology

Abstract

Web scale discovery services (WSDS) are becoming widely adopted by academic libraries for a number of reasons. These include, namely: to improve the experience of students when searching for information; to offer a single easy-to-use interface to the library comparable to that of Google; to increase the visibility of the library resources; and to boost the use of quality resources to advance learning and promote student success. In 2012, the Durban University of Technology (DUT) implemented Summon, a discovery service from Serial Solutions, to support the strategic objectives of the library in pursuing seamless environments for access and delivery of library resources. Apart from the Summon usage statistics, vendor usage statistics for library databases, and library website statistics, there are no other measures in place to determine the extent of Summon use at DUT. The literature is abundant with models and approaches to evaluate electronic information systems (EIS). This includes research on evaluating specific aspects of WSDS, for example, selection and implementation, collection use, usability and library instruction. The eVALUEd toolkit is purposely developed for evaluation of EIS, and is used as a framework for the evaluation of Summon. Using the themes and outcomes presented in the toolkit, and supported by contemporary methodologies, this study provides a holistic approach to evaluating Summon use among students, academics, and Subject Librarians at DUT. A case study method was used to investigate, gather, describe and analyse data relevant to the research. The researcher used various survey methods to collect data from the participants, including the use of questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. The sample was drawn from first year students, academics responsible for coordination of library training, and Subject Librarians from the Faculty of Health Sciences. The findings provide comparative data on the information-seeking behavior of students, the general use of library resources, the impact of information literacy training on the use of Summon, the use of Summon for assignments and projects, and the factors that determine the use or non-use of Summon among the participants in the different courses. The study proposes new ways in which Summon can be used, as well as a model to improve the use of Summon at DUT.