Knowledge Finder® has been an integral part of this reference service since 1996.

Diane Stone, Regional Librarian for the Mercy Network Libraries of Cincinnati, writes:

"Knowledge Finder by Aries Systems Corporation offers a user-friendly search engine that can be used successfully by both the novice and experienced searcher.

"My novice searchers benefit from the built in software/interface features such as fuzzy logic, natural language searching, dictionary options, automatic truncation and the relevance filter.

"As a more experienced searcher, I appreciate the advanced research features such as explode, boolean operators, subheadings and controlled language indexing. Knowledge Finder provides all the standard access point fields such as author, journal title, language, publication type and date, and UI numbers that I need to limit my search strategy.

"Our library staff benefits from tools such as saved local holdings, multiple save and print format choices, and the default setting options.

"We subscribe to MEDLINE, CINAHL, and HealthSTAR utilizing the CD-ROM and the Web versions. The offering of various options allows our customers to choose a research tool with which they are familiar and comfortable. Instruction for either version takes a minimal amount of time due to the system's user-friendly interface. I am particularly pleased with the way Knowledge Web (KW) handles an unexpected disconnection. Upon re-entering the system, disheartened searchers learn that their search strategy has been automatically saved. Another time-saving feature is the system's interoperability which allows the user to apply their search to multiple databases.

"My sales contact and the technical support representative have demonstrated excellence in customer service. Aries is receptive to my ideas for improvement which prompts feelings of ownership in a learning organization.

"As of March 1998, in comparison to the other free MEDLINE search engines, my volunteer staff and customers prefer the easy-to-use functionality of Aries."

Diane Stone, MLS
Regional Librarian
Mercy Network Libraries
April 14, 1998

Disclaimer: The above comments are my personal opinion as a knowledge resource manager and do not necessarily reflect that of my employer.

Back to Other Synergies and Successes with Knowledge Finder