Discovery Layer in Library Retrieval: VuFind as an Open Source Service for Academic Libraries in Developing Countries

Abstract

This paper provides an overview of the emergence of resource discovery systems and services, along with their advantages, best practices, and current landscapes. It outlines some of the key services and functionalities of a comprehensive discovery model suitable for academic libraries in developing countries. The proposed model (VuFind as a discovery tool) performs like other existing web-scale resource discovery systems, both commercial and open-source, and is capable of providing information resources from different sources in a single-window search interface. The objective of the paper is to provide seamless access to globally distributed subscribed as well as open access resources through its discovery interface, based on a unified index. This model uses Koha, DSpace, and Greenstone as back-ends and VuFind as a discovery layer in the front-end and has also integrated many enhanced search features like Bento-box search, Geodetic search, and full-text search (using Apache Tika). The goal of this paper is to provide the academic community with a one-stop shop for better utilising and integrating heterogeneous bibliographic data sources with VuFind (https://vufind.org/vufind).