Finder by IDCare
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Case study · Academic library

Helping users navigate a 113,000-volume humanities collection.

The Universidad Autónoma de Madrid implemented Finder in the Humanities Library at its Cantoblanco campus to make open-access materials easier to locate.

2,000+ organic searches in the first four weeks, without service promotion.

Institution
Universidad Autónoma de Madrid
Library
Humanities Library
Campus
Cantoblanco
Collection context
More than 113,000 volumes
Space
Two floors
Finder access
Web and 32-inch and 43-inch touchscreen displays

The challenge

The library had identified a long-standing need to make open-access materials easier for users to locate. The scale of the collection and a two-floor layout made the space less intuitive, even with traditional floor plans, signage and personal assistance.

A member of the UAM Humanities Library management standing beside a Finder display mounted on a pillar, in front of the library shelving.
The UAM Humanities Library, with one of the Finder screens mounted on a pillar in the entrance hall.
  • Santiago Fernández Conti Vicegerente de Biblioteca, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid

A more intuitive route from search to shelf.

Finder complemented the library’s existing search and wayfinding environment with an interactive location experience. Students and researchers could search on professional displays inside the library or open Finder from the catalog on the web, then see the relevant location on a map.

Designed for both the building and the web.

The implementation included 32-inch and 43-inch touchscreen displays in the Humanities Library, alongside web access from the catalog journey. The displays provided the size, resolution and responsive experience expected by users familiar with modern digital interfaces.

Two members of the UAM Humanities Library staff either side of a 43-inch Finder display mounted on the wall, below a sign reading Silencio, next to the periodicals rack.
The 43-inch display in the Humanities Library, beside the periodicals stand.
  • Left to right
  • Santiago Fernández Conti Vicegerente de Biblioteca, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid
  • Teresa Domingo Deputy Head of the Humanities Library

Encouraging adoption from the start.

Finder generated more than 2,000 organic searches in its first four weeks, without a service promotion campaign.

  • 600+ searches on interactive displays
  • 1,500+ searches on the web
  • 2,000+ searches overall

Initial usage figures for the first four weeks after launch.

Three members of the UAM Humanities Library staff standing beside a Finder screen mounted on a pillar, in front of the library shelving.
The Humanities Library team beside one of the Finder displays, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid.
  • Left to right
  • Teresa Domingo Deputy Head of the Humanities Library
  • M. Carmen Maestre Head of the Humanities Library
  • Santiago Fernández Conti Vicegerente de Biblioteca, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid

“It is a highly practical improvement for locating open-access collections, more than offsetting the cost and effort of implementation.”

Santiago Fernández Conti Vicegerente de Biblioteca, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid

What other libraries can learn from the UAM experience.

  1. A clear user need matters more than adding technology for its own sake.
  2. Web access and in-building displays can support different moments in the same journey.
  3. Screen quality, speed and intuitive design influence adoption.
  4. Finder can complement signage and staff support rather than replacing them.

See how Finder could work in your library.

We will review your collection, building and catalog environment, then demonstrate the experience and prepare a tailored proposal.

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