While it is abundantly clear users want a single, Google-like search interface to the diverse digital information that a cultural institution such as a library provides, it is not yet clear what the optimal approach to providing such integrated searching is. For example, what’s best: a single system such as an ILS, harvesting metadata from multiple systems to a central repository, federated searching of multiple systems, or a centralized search index of multiple systems? Should the employed system be open source or commercial? This concise report presents a summary of the discussions of a working group of nine single-search implementers that was facilitated by OCLC Research about this increasing important topic.

Prescott, Leah, and Ricky Erway. Single Search: The Quest for the Holy Grail. Dublin, OH: OCLC Research, 2011.