One-Click to Content: What LibKey Means for the Future of Discovery Services, Libraries, and Users

Abstract

In 2011, authors of the influential article “Shapes in the Cloud” wrote, “The barometer of user expectations for searching library resources has been defined by Google.” Today, user expectations have evolved so this sentiment can be restated as “The barometer of user expectations for access library resources has been defined by SciHub.”
Users expect the process of accessing full text to be fast, seamless and intuitive. Over the past year, hundreds of libraries have integrated LibKey APIs from Third Iron into Primo, Summon and other discovery environments to deliver one-click access to millions of articles and more. This session reports on how these integrations are being used, what the data shows about their use and how simplifying access to content can be extended in new ways.