RefWorks Users - Important Information about Athens

This is a reminder that you need to take action if you normally login to your RefWorks account via Athens.

Following the previous announcement on this blog about the withdrawal of Athens by 31^st July - if you have been accessing RefWorks via Athens you will need to amend your RefWorks account following these instructions:

1. Login to Athens at http://www.liv.ac.uk/athens
2. Follow the link from your MyAthens page to RefWorks (http://www.refworks.com/rwathens)
3. In RefWorks, choose Tools, Update User Information
4. Choose a new Login Name and Password and click the Update button
5. In future, login to RefWorks directly at http://www.refworks.com.ezproxy.liv.ac.uk/refworks using your chosen Login Name and Password (you will first be prompted to login to EZproxy if you haven’t already)

If you created a RefWorks account directly in the RefWorks site without logging in to Athens then you need do nothing.

Please ask if you have any questions.

Use: http://scholar.google.co.uk.ezproxy.liv.ac.uk/

When you are using Google Scholar make sure that you use the University of Liverpool EZproxy version at: http://scholar.google.co.uk.ezproxy.liv.ac.uk/
Using this will ensure that you are logged in via EZproxy with your MWS username and password and will be authenticated to access resources included in Google Scholar that the Library subscribe to.

Do remember though that:

1. Sometimes links will break and there may be a resource the Library does actually have but Google Scholar can't link to it - always check the e-journal catalogue for the journal title if it's something you really want.
2. Google Scholar does not index everything! There will be resources that are available in the Online Library that Google Scholar won't include. So always use both for a thorough search.
3. Google Scholar doesn't define exactly what it means by 'scholarly literature' so, as with any source, always evaluate it before you use it in your research. These evaluation tips might be helpful.

If you have any questions please get in touch.

Blackwell Synergy site ceases June 30th - being moved to WileyInterscience

Following the merger of Blackwell Publishing with John Wiley and Sons, the Blackwell Synergy site will cease to be available after June 30th 2008. All content on the Blackwell Synergy site, including current issues, backfiles, and issues published online before print, will be transferred to the Wiley InterScience site as of 1st July 2008.

A completely new, 'next-generation' Wiley-Blackwell site will be launched in 2009 that we are promised will include the best features of both Blackwell Synergy and Wiley InterScience and which will introduce innovative new functionality and capabilities.

Wiley-Blackwell assure us that:
- all Blackwell journal access rights will be transferred, enabling continuous access to our licensed content
- existing Synergy URLs and links will redirect to the content on Wiley InterScience
- they will work with link resolver vendors (e.g. our SFX / find it @ liverpool service from Ex Libris) to redirect links to Wiley InterScience
- DOIs (Digital Object Identifiers) are persistent and so will continue to work after the move to Wiley InterScience
- they have upgraded Wiley InterScience to accommodate the addition of Blackwell books, journals and customers
- the accounts for all registered users on Blackwell Synergy will transfer to Wiley InterScience so that users continue to receive the journal E-TOCs and other alerts that they have signed up for

Note that:

- Wiley Interscience does not include icons to indicate whether you are entitled to full-text access (but the new Wiley-Blackwell site coming in 2009 will)
- the Blackwell Encyclopedia of Sociology will remain on its existing platform for now

Maintenance for Web of Knowledge 20/21 June 2008

Please note this announcement we've received about Web of Knowledge (Web of Science) access:

Thomson Reuters will be performing maintenance on ISI Web of Knowledge and EndNote Web, commencing Friday 20 June 2008 at 5.00pm EDT - 10.00pm BST. There will be brief disruptions to access on services during this time and throughout the day on Saturday 21 June 2008. We apologise for any inconvenience that this might cause.

Recognised as a Guest when you Login to MetaLib?

I've had a number of enquiries recently from users who have wondered why they are only recognised as a guest once they have logged into MetaLib (the Library cross-searching tool). Please be assured that this is completely normal! If you have got as far as accessing the MetaLib cross-searching tool then you are fully authenticated as a University of Liverpool user.

However, MetaLib does have some extra features that you can use by logging in once in MetaLib with your MWS username and password. These features include: saving search results to a personal 'My Space' area; creating lists of your favourite e-journals or databases. Please see this Library FAQ for more details of how to do this and do ask if you have any questions (onlinelibrarian@liverpool.ac.uk).

SFX and Metalib unavailable Sun 15th June 6am - 12 noon (UK time)

SFX / find it @ liverpool and Metalib will be unavailable for 6 hours between 6am and 12 noon (UK time) on Sunday 15th June because the servers need to be physically moved to a new location within the Ex Libris Data Center in Chicago.E-journals, databases and e-books will still be accessible via the Library catalogue.

You can check what time this is where you are here.

IMPORTANT - Please read! Athens authentication & RefWorks

Please note this announcement made to all University users:

For many years, Athens has been UK HE's Identity Management service, run by Eduserv and funded by JISC. JISC will stop funding Athens on 31st July 2008 and will replace it as the national access management service by a new service called the UK Federation, based on the Shibboleth technology.

How does this affect you?
If you are used to logging in to Athens to access e-resources then you will need to get used to new access routes.

Links to most e-resources from the Library web pages and catalogue are already authenticated by IP address and routed via EZproxy (though they may be accessible via Athens too at present).

On-campus, you have seamless access to these resources; off-campus you will be prompted to login to EZproxy with your Managed Windows Service username and password.

British Standards Online, JustCite and LexisNexis Butterworths have been converted to IP/EZproxy access recently. ESDU, Info4Education (i.e. Construction Information Service et al) and Westlaw will follow shortly.

A few resources, including:
BUFVC resources (inc TRILT and the TVTimes Project 1955-1985)
Census resources
Digimap
Economic and Data Service (ESDS)
MIMAS landmap
Planex
Zetoc alerts

cannot or will not allow access by IP/EZproxy. CSD and the Library are actively working with JISC and the vendors concerned to ensure that Shibboleth or some other authentication method is available by Aug 1st 2008. CSD are developing a new UK Federation login page, and direct login links to these resources.

Personal settings tied to Athens login, for example in RefWorks and Zetoc alerts, will need particular attention before July 31st.

The Library's RefWorks page has been updated to explain how to convert your Athens-based RefWorks account into one that is no longer tied to your Athens login:
1. Login to Athens at http://www.liv.ac.uk/athens
2. Follow the link from your MyAthens page to RefWorks (http://www.refworks.com/rwathens)
3. In RefWorks, choose Tools, Update User Information
4. Choose a new Login Name and Password and click the Update button
5. In future, login to RefWorks directly at http://www.refworks.com.ezproxy.liv.ac.uk/refworks using your chosen Login Name and Password. You will be prompted to login to EZproxy with your Managed Windows Service (MWS) username and password.

An announcement will follow about how to convert Athens-based Zetoc alert accounts.

For other resources where you may have chosen to set personal preferences (e.g. ScienceDirect), try logging into your account via Athens as normal, and then edit your profile to choose a new username and password. Failing that, note your personal settings, access the resource via EZproxy instead of Athens and create a new personal account, then change its settings to match your previous personal account that was tied to your Athens account.

Please ask if you have any questions: onlinelibrarian@liverpool.ac.uk

Wikipedia cartoon - made me laugh :-)

This cartoon about Wikipedia from the Daily Telegraph might make you chuckle - of course I'm not suggesting that taught postgraduate students would be doing this sort of thing ;-)

If you've not seen it already, or would like a reminder, there is some Laureate/University of Liverpool guidance on the use of Wikipedia and other such encyclopedias.

My MWS Password has Expired - Help!

You have to change your Managed Windows Service (MWS) password for the Online Library every three months now for security reasons. If you find that you try to login to EZproxy and see an error message saying 'Bad credentials supplied' it is very likely that your password has expired.

What do you do?
Well, first of all, try changing your password using this Computing Services web page. Please read the password rules carefully so you create a strong, secure, acceptable password.

However, if for some reason you try this and it doesn't allow you to change your password you will need to contact the University Computing Services Helpdesk at helpdesk@liverpool.ac.uk; telephone: +44 (0) 151 794 4567. Explain that you are a University of Liverpool online student and include details of the programme you are taking (e.g MBA; MPH Public Health; MSc IT; MSc Information Systems Management; MSc Operations & Supply Chain Management). Also tell them your full name, Laureate student number, date of birth and place of permanent address.

How can you be reminded when your MWS password is due to expire?
By accessing the Library using the University portal for online students and staff on a regular basis, not only will this give you access to the Online Library, news items and more, it will provide you with reminders when your password is next due to expire. It also gives you easy access to your University of Liverpool email account - reminders are also sent here.