Richland Library builds on EBSCO Discovery Service API

Richland Library in South Carolina, USA has used EBSCO Discovery Service API (EDS API) from EBSCO Information Services so that patrons can use the library’s own website applications discovery and have all the functionality offered in EDS.

According to EBSCO, ‘although Richland Library wasn’t initially looking at discovery services, they soon realised after an evaluation, that EDS API can help develop the ideal user experience while also enabling creative control for its library.’ EDS API is said to complement and enhance the search experience for libraries with custom discovery solutions by providing access to premium content available through EBSCO Discovery Service, as well as a robust set of features and functionality. With EDS API, libraries can integrate components of EDS into their library solution. These components include rich metadata, superior relevancy ranking, full-text linking, persistent links, custom links, facets, limiters and expanders, and book jacket images.

Virtual services manager at Richland Library, Kelly Coulter explained: ‘My biggest priority was to stop sending people to a million different other websites and try to keep our visits on our own website. That way we can control the user experience more than if we’re just a portal sending customers off to other websites’.

Over the next few months Richland Library hopes to do more usability studies and to see how the library customers are interacting with the library website. They plan to take advantage of some additional features and functionality that EDS provides including adding more facets to the interface to cater different user-level search needs.