Enhancing Access and Usage: the OUHK's Experience in Resource Discovery Service

The Open University of Hong Kong has revamped its Electronic Library using the Primo discovery service. This paper describes the challenges encountered during the implementation and the solutions adopted to facilitate and maximize users’ access to the library collection. It shares the experience on how the web-scale discovery service can or cannot help in boosting the visibility of the collection by reviewing the usage statistics of the Library’s subscribed/purchased databases, journals and e-books before and after the implementation of the discovery service. While trying to trace the causes of the limitations of the discovery service, this paper also suggests possible practices or collaborations among libraries, content providers and the discovery tool developers in the delivery of relevant information to their target communities.