Use RefWorks - It's Free!

Are you struggling with your referencing, or simply looking for an automated way of managing your references? If you are, then why not try out RefWorks, an online reference management tool. The University provides access to this software for all users, so for you, it's free to use! Details of how to access it are here, but please contact me if you need help: use the chat box to the right of the screen if I'm online or email me at: onlinelibrarian@liverpool.ac.uk

Have a Chat with the Online Librarian :-)

The observant amongst you will have noticed that there is now a chat box called 'My Plugoo' on the Online Library News blog. This should provide an easy way of chatting with me if you have a question, a suggestion or just want to say hello :-) It's in an experimental stage at the moment, but I hope you'll like it and that it will be useful.

If it says 'I'm Online' in the chat box it means that I'm sitting at my computer and will respond to you. If it says 'I'm away' or 'I'm offline' I might already be busy with an enquiry, or, if it's outside normal service hours (Monday-Friday 0900-1700 UK time), it means that I actually really am away and not available. Or it may just mean that I've just popped off to make a quick coffee or have a bite to eat and will be back again soon! So if 'I'm away' or 'I'm offline' you can try looking later to see if 'I'm Online' or you can send an email to onlinelibrarian@liverpool.ac.uk and then I will respond to you as soon as I return.

To chat to me is easy - just type what you want to say in the 'Your message' box, and then add our name in 'Your nickname' box. Our chat will be completely private - no one else will see the content of it or know that it's taking place.

This chat facility is an additional way of communicating that I hope students and staff will make use of. Of course the normal email and telephone contacts (+44 (0) 151 794 4345) are available still.

Why not let me know what you think of this by sending a comment to the blog - or by chatting with me :-)

Are your Searches not Finding What you Want? Try these Search Tips

Isn't it annoying when you search a Library resource, you're sure that there must be something written on the subject you are interested in, but you can't find any relevant search results? If you find that sometimes this happens to you then you may find some search tips helpful. There are MetaLib search tips specifically for the MetaLib cross-searching tool, and some more general search tips which apply to most databases. Take a look, you may find them useful :-)

Want to read e-books via ebrary? First download the ebrary reader!

The Library provides thousands of e-books in a variety of subject areas through the e-book collection, ebrary. However, before you can read the content of books in ebrary you must first download the ebrary reader. This is a quick and easy download and instructions are available in this Library FAQ.Please do ask though if you have any questions: Online_Librarian@embanet.com

Saving search results using MetaLib

When you search MetaLib, the Library cross-searching tool, you may want to save some of your search results so you can go back to them later. This is easy to do by logging into MetaLib with your MWS username and password and using the 'My Space' area. Instructions are provided in this Library FAQ, but please do ask if you have any questions: Online_Librarian@embanet.com.

Public health database spotlight: Global Health

Are you a public health student looking for a specialist international public health database which includes significant unique content particularly in the areas of tropical medicine, infectious diseases, vector control, food safety and epidemiology?

If you are, then take a look at the Library database, Global Health. Add your MWS username and password when prompted and you will be taken to the native interface of the database where you can search the database and access your results.

Please note that although the database will provide you with access to articles in full text when the Library subscribes to that journal, it does also include reference to articles from journals that the Library do not subscribe to - for these, you will not be able to view the full text.

Google Finance

Another one for management students here. Last week I mentioned Yahoo Finance as a useful source of financial information. Well, some of you may have also come across Google Finance - another good source of stock market, share price, and company information.

NEW: Emerald Management Extra 150

The Library have subscribed to an online collection of Emerald journals (mostly business and management but also some engineering titles) for many years now. In that time, Emerald has launched or acquired many new journals but these have not been added to our subscribed collection.

Following a successful bid to the discretionary fund we have now paid for access to the Emerald Management Extra 150 (EMX 150) until the end of 2008. This means that we now have access to over 50 additional Emerald titles.

We will monitor usage of all Emerald journals for the remainder of this year so that we can decide which is the most suitable collection in future years.

Yahoo Finance - take a look!

Are you a management student looking for financial information? As you will know, the Library provides excellent, quality sources for your research and they are a real asset to your University of Liverpool programme. However, there are of course other resources out there that are also valuable to your research and these are also worth taking a look at. One excellent web site is Yahoo Finance. This site provides an array of financial resources, including news stories, financial reports and financial statistics.

There are more useful web sites listed on this Library page. If you have web sites that you have found helpful in your research, why not post a message to the blog and let everyone know :-)

Not finding full text using MetaLib search?

Do you find that sometimes you search MetaLib, the Library cross-searching tool, but you are denied access to the full text of a journal article? There are two main reasons why this happens:

1. Your search results may contain articles from journals that the Library do not subscribe to. Some of the Library databases are indexes that include some references to articles the Library do not subscribe to. If this is the case, take a look at these suggestions on how to find resources the Library don't have available.
2. Sometimes, despite our best efforts, it is not possible to maintain a link to an article via EZproxy through all the steps that SFX needs to perform to construct a link to an article. To check whether the Library do subscribe to the journal, year and volume you require, search the University of Liverpool catalogue or the A-Z list of e-journals for the journal title. If the Library do subscribe and it is just the link that is breaking, you should be able to access the article through this route. If you have followed a link to an e-book and you are denied access try the Library catalogue e-book search.

Please do ask if you have any questions about this or any other Library matters.