“Pretty Rad”: Explorations in User Satisfaction with a Discovery Layer at Ryerson University

Abstract

Web-scale discovery systems are becoming prevalent in research libraries. Although a number of studies have explored various impacts of discovery systems, few studies exist on user satisfaction. The investigators of this study evaluated user satisfaction with the discovery service Summon at Ryerson University, using online questionnaires and in-person focus groups. Results indicated a high level of satisfaction overall, although this was heavily influenced by the quality of search results over ease of use. The study provides insight into the information-seeking behavior and search preferences of a user when a discovery layer is implemented in a research library.