FUMSI 'Manage' Report: Federated Search Report and Tool Kit

"Federated Search Report and Tool Kit"
by Jill Hurst-Wahl,
October 2008

Guide and e-workbook explains federated search and enables organisations to assess needs, research the industry, test products and implement a federated search solution. Includes 10 hands-on activities.

FUMSI Report: Manage

Information page: http://web.fumsi.com/go/report/manage/1178

Most organisations offer their employees access to a wide range of resources -- intranets and licensed databases, not to mention the World Wide Web. For those who champion information discovery and utilisation, it can be a challenge to get colleagues to make full use of the rich resources available.

Federated search describes software and systems that conduct a single search across multiple datasets, helping searchers discover relevant information more quickly than they would if they had to search each individually. Federated search also helps searchers get the value from databases they might not be familiar with and would not otherwise explore.

But federated search is not a 'one size fits all' solution. Every organisation needs to review its requirements, survey users, study and evaluate different solutions available and monitor implementation to be sure to realise the return on its investment.

Jill Hurst-Wahl's new FUMSI Report, Federated Search Report and Tool Kit, is a practical resource to help organisations do exactly that. Its five chapters and 10 hands-on activities walk information staff and other stakeholders through the steps of considering, evaluating, selecting and monitoring federated search.

The Federated Search Report and Tool Kit is the latest addition to the FUMSI report series. Reports are commissioned and published within practice areas as follows:

+ Find: Search and research, including the Regional Research Series

+ Use: Analysis and advice, including the Risk Management Report and Tool Kit

+ Manage: Organisation, storage and retrieval

+ Share: Training, publishing and communication, including the Social Media Report and Tool Kit.

Reports and tool kits are written by experts in the field and include hands-on activities to help users turn the report ideas into action plans, customised to their needs.

For further information about the Federated Search Report and Tool Kit, to view sample pages and the table of contents, and to order, please visit: <http://web.fumsi.com/go/report/manage/1178>

Information for Editors

"Federated Search Report and Tool Kit"
by Jill Hurst-Wahl
A FUMSI Report published by Free Pint Limited, October 2008 ISBN 978-1-904769-34-7

Price: GBP 39 for a single site; GBP 110 for up to 5 sites; GBP 215 for unlimited sites

FUMSI subscribers benefit from a 50% discount off the list price. Visit http://www.fumsi.com/how/join/ to learn more.

Review copies can be made available to verified members of the industry press; please enquire to support@fumsi.com.

About the Author

Hurst Associates, Ltd. (http://www.HurstAssociates.com) frequently consults with clients who are working to make information more accessible to their staff, suppliers and users. Information can become more accessible both through the use of digitization and web 2.0 tools. Hurst Associates helps organisations assess their needs, evaluate products, and implement solutions that will make information flow more efficiently within the organisation and with external users.

Hurst Associates’ president, Jill Hurst-Wahl, MLS, has over 20 years’ experience in the library and information sector, including work as an IT business systems analyst and as a corporate librarian. Since founding Hurst Associates in 1998, Jill has consulted with for-profit and nonprofit institutions including many cultural heritage organisations. She was recently appointed to the full-time faculty of the information school at the University of Syracuse.

As blogger, Jill’s Digitization 101 blog (http://www.Digitization101.com) is a frequently read resource among those involved in digitisation programs. She also blogs about social networking tools at eNetworking 101: The Blog (http://www.eNetworking101.com/blog).

Jill can be contacted at hurst@HurstAssociates.com.

About FUMSI

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