[Web4lib] Federated searching-general question re sub groupings

[Pons, Lisa (ponslm)]

I have a general question- sorry this is so long!

We're a few steps away from implementing our new federated search tool.
It has been an interesting experience!

I have some questions regarding how this tool is seen across your
institutions- that is, what is the vision for it's use?

For example, we have created our tool with 21 subject categories. Now,
some of  our subject specialists want to create sub categories, and
choose their own databases to be searched , and put a search box on
their subject guide pages that will only search within their sub
category.

For example, on our main federated page, we have Earth and Environmental
Sciences which includes 10 databases to be searched. Now, the subject
specialist wants to create a sub-category for Geography and put the
search box on her subject guide page. The category may or may not have
the same databases as the main earth and environmental sciences main
category.

My question is, won't this confuse users?  Does this partially defeat
the purpose of a "federated search" by limiting the search to a very
slender set of resources? We are using Serials solutions central search,
which has Vivisimo to cluser results- shouldn't that be enough.

Isn't this kind of library 1.0 thinking- that every tool must be
separate, and to find this, you must go there, to find that, you must go
somewhere else.

I need help here- if I am wrong I need to shut up about it with my
colleagues, if I am write, I need help from all the experts out there
explaining why it is wrong.

Thanks!