Only the first results count: user-feedback-modified relevance ranking in E-LIB Bremen

• Main Authors: Martin Blenkle, Rachel Ellis, Elmar Haake
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ubiquity Press 2015-07-01
• Series: Insights: The UKSG Journal
• Subjects: Ranking; Discovery Service; Catalogue
• Online Access: http://insights.uksg.org/articles/235

Since the introduction of new search engine-based library catalogues and resources discovery systems, users have been able to find millions of online documents that are available in parallel to local holdings. Users of these new, continually expanding catalogue systems need to be able to find titles in a convenient way. The quality of recommendation systems and especially relevance ranking methods is very important for the success of discovery catalogues. Up to now, library catalogue ranking methods have largely ignored user feedback. However, in 2011, the State and University Library Bremen (SuUB) developed modified ranking methods for its own discovery system, Electronic Library Bremen (E-LIB Bremen). These make use of popularity factors such as click statistics and information about the number of editions published as well as how many copies of a given title are available. This customized development has enabled fast and flexible new retrieval functions to meet the needs of local users.