Metasearching: An Annotated Bibliography
2013
Increasingly, libraries are investing in metasearch tools to provide researchers with a simple, single point of access for the myriad of databases and electronic resources available to them. Companies producing metasearch software packages provide an array of tools that offer several options for use. Some products fully integrate metasearch tools within a library management system, and usually include resource locators for journals and databases as well as searching within databases themselves. Some vendors provide cross-searching systems that access only the vendor’s particular suite of databases. Despite the burgeoning use of these metasearch tools, it can be an overwhelming and time-consuming activity for the library and information community to determine which tools and options are appropriate.