Thursday, August 25, 2022
Information below is being reshared in case you missed it earlier this summer.
After careful consideration, the DPI Library Services Team has decided to retire the BadgerLink federated search tool, branded as Super Search, as of July 1, 2022. Super Search has supported users in their research since 2008 by allowing most BadgerLink resources to be searched at the same time. However, with advancements and adoption of other discovery tools at many schools and public libraries, and general improvements to individual resource interfaces, we feel users are best served by focusing support on those tools and the resources themselves moving forward.
Does this affect access to the resources?
The decision to retire Super Search does not affect individual access to the resources, nor any configuration a school or library has to the resources through their own discovery tool. While uncommon, if a library is currently using a Super Search widget on their website, this functionality will no longer work after July 1. Please reach out if you need any assistance or have questions.
Alternatives to Super Search
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K-12 research: Britannica School by grade level and Explora for Elementary or Explora for Middle & High are excellent starting points for well-rounded research resources providing access to images, video, encyclopedia articles, magazines, and journals.
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Known-item (you have the magazine/journal article title): Select the All EBSCOhost Databases option in EBSCO All Resources, for another great option when you know the article but not the resource.
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Newspaper research: Most of these resources weren’t included in Super Search, so the research method stays the same! For Wisconsin-specific titles, this article explains the process step-by-step.
Will the Library Services Team adopt a different discovery tool in the future?
All resource or technology procurements are governed by a formal Department of Administration process. We have no immediate plans for future procurements of a discovery tool.
We are here to support your school or library in developing strong research and information literacy skills! Asynchronous materials, as well as free, personalized training for your staff are available. Reach out at any time and let us know how we can help bring trustworthy, user-focused BadgerLink resources to the forefront of your library.