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# One, two, three: the trajectory of search
- URL: https://www.lorcandempsey.net/one-two-three-the-trajectory-of-search/
- Published: 2004-10-19T16:06:13.000Z
- Updated: 2004-10-19T16:06:13.000Z
- Author: Lorcan Dempsey
- Tags: Systems

In my current Update [column](https://www.cilip.org.uk/publications/updatemagazine/archive/archive2004/november/lorcan.htm?ref=lorcandempsey.net), I suggest that we can think of three stages of library search in the web era: monolithic search system, metasearch, and data exposure. These put together data, search engine and user interface in different ways.

> Hardly a day goes by without another arrangement between an information provider and Google or Yahoo to expose its collections for search on the web. Everybody wants to be \`on web’. Google and Yahoo, in turn, are eager to find as many ways as possible of connecting their users to valuable material currently hidden in \`off-web’ database silos. Most of the digital resources that libraries manage are currently off web: they do not offer themselves up to the Google user. Increasingly, \`on web’ means available in Google. \[[CILIP | Guest column: The Three Stages of library search](https://www.cilip.org.uk/publications/updatemagazine/archive/archive2004/november/lorcan.htm?ref=lorcandempsey.net)\]