What We Did with Primo - Northwestern Style

Abstract

Northwestern University has released Primo in beta to its university users. We have chosen to make Primo a "federated" search engine (one search box with no options) as the initial entry point into Primo. Our Primo environment includes Primo Central, bX, and an adapter built to fully integrate Primo with our Blackboard application. We also have a separate library website that is using the Primo API and integrating Primo functionality into an existing library website instead of the "Primo View" that comes with the primo installation. Work continues on different uses of the filesplitter API including development of a MODS filesplitter for repository harvesting. Having just completed our first major usability study, we have learned much about how our students view Primo and how they intend to use it. All this will be discussed (including why we did not "name" our primo application) as we tour the Northwestern library search and discovery website.