Paper short abstract:

The African Studies Library portal has innovative functionalities concerning the discoverability of publications. The portal aims to recreate the act of browsing along library shelves online, offering engaging and surprising suggestions related to the original search topic through knowledge graphs.

Paper long abstract:

One of the key aims of the African Studies Library (FID Afrikastudien) funded by the German Research Association (DFG) at the University Library Johann Christian Senckenberg Frankfurt am Main is to make research published on the African continent accessible in Germany and beyond. This goal is pursued through an acquisition policy of buying exclusively publications from publishers on the African continent as well as so-called “grey literature”, which are often difficult to access internationally. These publications are being made findable and accessible through its new portal by incorporation into its comprehensive African Studies online catalogue. This paper will present the African Studies Library portal and its key and innovative functionalities concerning the discoverability of publications. For example, the portal aims to recreate the act of browsing along library shelves online through the use of knowledge graphs, offering engaging and surprising suggestions to users related to the original search topic, hoping to broaden horizons of relevant literature.