Expanding Discovery with Search Webhooks: NewsBank is now available via Primo

Scott Schuetze, Ex Libris

Library users employ a variety of methods to search for, find, and access academic resources. They leverage vendor-supplied discovery services, subscription databases, Google Scholar, library-specific search engines, and more. These search tools aren’t connected to each other and come with their own user interfaces that users need to learn and become familiar with.

The search webhook, recently made available to Primo customers, provides both libraries and content providers with a new avenue to meet user needs during academic resource discovery by connecting these search tools. Libraries can enhance their Primo instance to work with their own search engine functionality or  with an external search engine (such as Google and Project Gutenberg), using the standard Primo services and view. A Primo search webhook video provides an overview for this new customization opportunity.

Ex Libris’ recent collaboration with NewsBank is an example of how the search webhook enhancement works. Once a library starts using the NewsBank search webhook, their users will be able to use a dedicated search scope for all NewsBank materials and view results within the Primo user interface. These results are specific to the subscribed NewsBank materials and not blended with any other local or subscribed data.

Peter Simon, NewsBank’s Vice President of Product Management, reports that more than thirty libraries have started the process of adding the NewsBank search webhook to Primo since its mid-August availability. To enable this webhook, you will need to request a token and service URL from NewsBank customer support and follow the instructions in the Ex Libris Developer Network (Primo or Primo VE).

Organizations and content vendors who wish to leverage the search webhooks and expose their content in Primo library discovery platform should review documentation posted on the Ex Libris Developer’s Network. It describes the specifications needed to create an API that allows Primo customers to perform searches against an external search webhook.

For more details on how Primo can improve resource discovery at your library please contact us.