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 :-)

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.

Use FAME for UK & Irish company information

Management students may find the Library database, FAME (Financial Analysis Made Easy), helpful for their research. FAME gives access to information on up to 1.8 million UK & Irish public & private companies. For the top 500,000 of these companies, up to 10 years information is available.

To access FAME, login to the University portal for online students & staff and select the search option 'Search for Library database titles' and type in FAME; or go to the Online Library home page and use the 'Search for Library database titles' search option. Add your MWS username and password when prompted to get access.

There is a short guide to getting started with FAME.

IEEE Xplore downtime Saturday 10 November

The Library has been informed that there will be some downtime for IEEE Xplore on Saturday 10 November - please see their announcement below:

Dear IEEE online subscriber

On Saturday, 10 November, IEEE will implement an upgrade to the IEEE Xplore digital library.

As a result, users will experience approximately 2-4 hours of downtime on that date, between 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. EST. A message will be posted to the IEEE Xplore home page to alert your users to the planned downtime.
Please encourage your users to take this into account when they plan their research.

This update includes the following features:
- Tabbed search results, including a beta test of Application Notes, practical content for working engineers
- Citation (Known Item) search, RefWorks/BibTeX citation download, and improved author search
- Subscriptions to IEEE Expert Now educational courses available through the IEEE Xplore platform Thank you for subscribing to your IEEE online collection.

We look forward to your response to these new tools and features and bringing you additional enhancements in the coming months.

Sincerely, The IEEE Publications Development Team

How to find a specific database from the Library

It's easy now to cross-search key collections of databases using 'Quick search' from the Library home page. 'Quick search' enables you to search the twelve key databases in your subject area in one search.

But if you want to make the most of the more advanced searching features available using the native interfaces of databases, such as, Emerald Fulltext, Business Source Premier, ACM Digital Library, ProQuest Nursing & Allied Health Source, you may find these instructions from the 'How to use the Library guide' helpful. They explain how to find a specific database from the Library.

Improve your MetaLib searching techniques with these search tips

The 'Quick search' option for MetaLib (the new Library search tool) is relatively easy to use as it uses 'Google type' search syntax. However, if you want to improve your searching techniques, take a look at these tips on searching MetaLib. And if you need more advice on searching, contact Stephanie Allen, Online Librarian.

Library database pages changed to new style MetaLib pages

The Library has now switched from the old style ASP database pages to the new style MetaLib database pages. This means that the links in the left navigation of the Online Library pages have changed to the following:

Library resources for Management Subjects
Library resources for Computing Subjects
Library resources for Public Health Subjects

Login to EZproxy with your MWS username and password when prompted. You will then be taken to 'Expert Search' the key twelve databases in your subject.

From here you can:

- Type in your search term and then select the database(s) you want to search by making sure there is a tick next to the database(s) you want.
- Link to the native database interface by clicking on a database title.
- Use the 'Find database' option to locate a specific a database and link to the native database interface.
- Use the other cross-searching options, such as cross-search e-book collections, more collections, general reference collections.

If you have any questions please contact the Online Librarian.

Access to Library databases soon switching to MetaLib

As part of improving access to Library resources, in the next few days, the Library will be switching to our new style MetaLib database pages from the old style ASP database pages. This will mean that the links in the left navigation of the Online Library pages that currently link to to the ASP lists of databases will change to the following:

Library resources for Management Subjects
Library resources for Computing Subjects
Library resources for Public Health Subjects

Login to EZproxy with your MWS username and password when prompted. You will then be taken to 'Expert Search' the key twelve databases in your subject. From here you can:

1. Type in your search term and then select the database(s) you want to search by making sure there is a tick next to the database(s) you want.
2. Link to the native database interface by clicking on a database title.
3. Use the 'Find database' option to locate a specific a database and link to the native database interface.
4. Use the other cross-searching options, such as cross-search e-book collections, more collections, general reference collections.

Why not have a look now so you will be prepared for the change?

If you have any questions please contact the Online Librarian.

MetaLib available again

The Library's cross-searching tool, MetaLib, is now available again. Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience this down time has caused.

MetaLib currently unavailable

MetaLib is currently unavailable. The problem is being investigated and we hope that it will be available again soon. The old style ASP Library web pages that provide links to key Library databases are working (Management; Computing; Public Health) and also the e-journal search and the e-book search.

Apologies for any inconvenience caused. I will update the blog as soon as I hear more about this.

Certificate warnings with EZproxy and https

When connecting to some Library databases which use the https protocol (secure http), in Internet Explorer 7 you will see a screen like:

You should continue to the web site, despite IE7’s recommendation not to.

The University Computing Services will soon be purchasing a new, signed digital certificate and this ‘error’ message will no longer appear. (It is primarily designed to prevent users unwittingly giving away personal details by logging into ‘phishing’ sites that are impersonating Internet banks, ebay, etc.).

Good news! You can now search multiple Library databases in one quick search!

The Library is moving to a much more powerful searching tool called MetaLib. This allows users to search multiple Library databases in one quick, easy search. The ability to cross-search Library databases is something that many of our users have asked for and we hope it will be a useful search tool. Even if you don't use MetaLib for 'metasearching' it is still a more flexible way of locating Library databases and e-journals.

Use your Managed Windows Service (MWS) username and password to login to EZproxy to give you access to resources. Almost all resources are now linked via EZproxy, which no longer suffers from conflicts with firewalls. Once you have logged in to EZproxy you will be able to follow links to other EZproxy-authenticated resources without having to login again.

Athens login is only used for resources that require it on campus as well as off. Whenever Athens is required, the Library links to a page which offers a link to the login page and a link to the resource, together with tips on using the Athens toolbar and Athens cookie. In the near future the Library login box for Athens and EZproxy login will be removed from the Library pages to play down the need to use Athens.

There is a guide to getting started with MetaLib which explains how to use it, but please note that other guides and Library documentation are in the process of being updated.

The best place to start using MetaLib is from the Online Library home page. Try out a search and let me know if you have any questions or comments. We welcome feedback and we will use it to help refine and improve the interface and instructions.

To enable a smooth changeover to the new searching tool for users, the links for Library Resources for Management, Computing and Public Health subjects located to the left of all Library pages still link to the old style database ASP web pages, but these will soon be altered to link to the MetaLib search tool.

Please do ask if you have any questions.

Want a quick, easy search? Coming soon from the Library...MetaLib!

In the few weeks the Library will be introducing a new search tool called MetaLib. This will allow you to cross-search the key collections in your chosen subject area in one quick and easy search. You will just need to login to EZproxy with your MWS username and password, type in your search, choose the collection you want to search, and from your search results you should be able to link to the full text document if it's available from the Library.

You will also be able to cross-search e-book collections, newspapers, official publications, theses and dissertations, dictionaries & encyclopedias.

Of course you will still be able to search the native interfaces of Library databases if you prefer to or if you want to do more advanced searches.

Watch this space for further announcements....

Problem with Library resource? Please NEVER contact the vendor

Please can I remind everyone that if you have a problem accessing an Online Library University of Liverpool resource, please never contact the vendor or supplier, please contact me initially (Online_Librarian@embanet.com; + 44 (0)151 794 4345). If the Library cannot solve the problem we will, if necessary, contact the vendor or supplier ourselves. This is very important and the Library appreciate your co-operation with this.

Tips on using ebrary e-book collection

If you want to use ebrary, the academic e-book collection available from the Library, you must download the ebrary reader before using it. Also, make sure that your browser allows pop-ups from site.ebrary.com, and your cookies are enabled. Don't forget that if you try to access ebrary on a different or new computer, you must also download the ebrary reader on that computer to get full access.

Ebrary has over 31,000 books available so it's very likely you will find something you are interested in. You can access it from the Library management collections page, computing collections page or the public health collections page. Login to EZproxy using your Managed Windows Service (MWS) username and password to authenticate yourself as a University of Liverpool user.

Blackwell Synergy downtime today

Blackwell Synergy will be unavailable for a few hours today - this is their announcement:

"To further improve the quality of our service, we are planning to perform system maintenance on the 3rd of August 2007 at 11:00pm BST(6:00pm EDT, 3:00pm PDT) for up to three hours. Blackwell Synergy will be unavailable during this time. We thank you for your patience and apologize for any inconvenience."

IEL - IEEE/IET Electronic Library downtime: Wednesday 30 May

The Library have been informed by IEEE that the IEL - IEEE/IET Electronic Library (available from the Computing Collections page) will be unavailable from 2:00pm-3:00pm EDT on Wednesday 30 May due to scheduled maintenance. IEEE apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

You can use the World Clock time zone converter to check what that time is where you live.

New Public Health Guide to Searching the Online Library

For all MPH students and staff there is now an Introductory Guide to Searching the Online Library (Public Health) available from the Library web pages. This guide explains how to login to the Library, how to find a journal article, and how to find information on a subject using the following databases:

• Medline (OVID)
• ProQuest Nursing and Allied Health Source
• Cambridge Scientific Abstracts (CSA) Databases
• Web of Knowledge
• ebrary (for e-books)

There is also advice on what to do if you have a problem accessing a resource. If you have any questions about this or any other Library matters please contact Stephanie Allen, Online Librarian at Online_Librarian@embanet.com.