Transforming Discovery & Showcasing Institutional Research at CHSU

California Health Sciences University (CHSU) sought a robust, user-friendly platform to streamline the discovery of library resources and showcase student and faculty research within CHSU and more broadly. With a limited staff to support a broad user base across its colleges of osteopathic medicine, the biosciences, and health professions, the university’s library needed a solution that would offer deep customization, precise search functionality, and actionable usage analytics – enabling the library to optimize resource utilization and demonstrate institutional impact.

CHSU’s previous library information management systems were fragmented and restrictive, and limited the visibility of library resources and institutional research. Culling reports was time-consuming and cumbersome, requiring staff to email vendors and log into separate admin platforms. The library team sought discovery and repository solutions that would:

• Offer intuitive search and navigation for users
• Allow for granular branding and workflow customization
• Enable them to feature specific resources and databases
• Streamline authentication and access to print and digital resources
• Support integration with CHSU’s separate circulation system
• Enhance the visibility and impact of student and faculty research
• Simplify usage reporting and analytics

Given the time constraints of medical students, the university prioritized finding tools that enable rapid discovery of relevant information resources.  Above all, CHSU sought a user-friendly solution tailored to the needs of a mid-sized academic institution.

TDNet Discover & DataSphere

After evaluating several platforms, CHSU selected TDNet Discover as its primary discovery platform and TDNet DataSphere as its institutional repository. TDNet Discover is a unified solution for library content management, discovery, and linking that features an AI-enhanced discovery engine and highly customizable library portals. TDNet DataSphere expands CHSU’s library portal by providing a hosted repository of CHSU’s digital assets, enhancing their discovery and preservation.

‍

The integration of these platforms offered a significant advantage to CHSU, streamlining workflows and eliminating the need to navigate between distinct systems. It simplified access to resources and enhanced overall efficiency in both user research and library resource management.

• Intuitive User Experience: Unlike more cluttered alternatives, TDNet Discover features a clean interface with a prominent search box and distinct, clearly labeled sections for intuitive navigation.
• Seamless Integration: TDNet’s solutions integrate with existing library systems and databases. CHSU easily integrated its print catalog and circulation system, allowing users to search all digital and physical collections simultaneously.
• Streamlined Access: TDNet Discover provides an AI-enhanced search experience across all library materials, making it easy for CHSU’s students and faculty to quickly find and access the resources they need, anywhere and anytime.
• Deep Customization: A drag-and-drop page builder, rich gallery of widgets, and content editor with code customization options offer full control over appearance and functionality. CHSU’s library portal and repository match its branding and workflow needs highlighting key resources and databases for its community.
• Enhanced Research Visibility: CHSU’s open-access DataSphere repository showcases institutional research, increasing visibility, engagement, and collaboration. PDF student posters are easy to upload for visibility within the university and beyond.
• Intelligent Filters: TDNet Discover pinpoints the most relevant medical studies, clinical trials, and foundational literature through intelligent filters to precisely refine search results. In addition to smart biomedical filters and medical thesauri from MeSH, Embase, Emtree, and other sources, metadata from CHSU repository records is also used to automatically generate filters.
• Powerful Analytics: Built-in reporting tools simplify usage analysis, reducing administrative workload. Librarians can quickly generate publishers’ COUNTER reports and access granular search and usage statistics, leveraging this data to refine resource tagging and improve discoverability.
• Setup and Support: CHSU’s implementation process for TDNet Discover and TDNet DataSphere was completed in just a couple of weeks, thanks to TDNet’s straightforward setup and responsive customer support.

TDNet Discover and DataSphere have empowered the CHSU library to:

• Deliver a seamless and intuitive research experience
• Better showcase, disseminate, and preserve CHSU’s scholarly output
• Enhance library workflows, shifting focus to future needs and growth

Flexibility, ease of use, and robust support have made these solutions a cornerstone of CHSU’s library services. CHSU appreciates the TDNet support team’s commitment to getting to “yes” – resolving even complex or unique requests promptly. CHSU’s library staff maintains that TDNet Discover searches more accurately and serves its population better than alternative discovery solutions. TDNet DataSphere has already enhanced institutional research visibility, and the library is looking to further expand its repository – creating author profiles for instructors and their publications, and adding institutional policies, videos, and datasets.CHSU has been a valued TDNet customer for five years and looks forward to continued collaboration to support the university's evolving needs and strategic goals in the years to come.