OneSearch Earns Positive Reviews

NMU's Lydia Olson Library implemented a new search engine this past fall. It is called OneSearch and, according to Mollie Freier (AIS-Library), it lives up to its name.

“The old one would search multiple databases simultaneously,” said Freier. “OneSearch provides access to the indexing for databases we've always subscribed to, as well as repositories and free web content, and they're continually adding indexing. If you search for a keyword, every single database will interpret it differently. But if you have one big index, it’s going to interpret everything the same so you don’t get as many false drops.”

Freier said OneSearch has a single text box like Google, which helps students and faculty use it more comfortably. The new search engine also allows for post-search editing, with boxes to narrow down publication date, content type, terms to include or exclude and even the source’s location in the library.

“When I show this to students at the reference desk, they really like it,” Freier said. “Once they realize they can do that faceted search by clicking boxes and narrowing it down, they think it’s really cool.”

Another Olson Library enhancement is a new mobile site that students can use with their smartphones.They are automatically directed to the site from the library's main page. To see what's featured, visit Olson Library Mobile.