If you’ve been using the library’s subscription databases recently, you may have noticed the full-text finder has a new look. The library is switching to different software to provide this service. The end result will be more accurate results when you click on the Check for Full Text link, but with software from a different company comes a different look.
Even with the new look, though, the process you follow to access full-text articles will continue to be the same. To check for full text click on the Full Text? icon or the link provided by the database. On the new page that loads, you will want to:
- Click on the article or journal link (if the article is not available online, you will get a message stating this).
- If clicking on this link does not bring you to the full text, you should then click on the name of the database to search for the article title in that database. When full text is available from certain databases, like ones FirstSearch and LexisNexis, it will never bring you right to the full text. That does not mean the article is not online, it just means that you have to do a little more work to get to the article.
- If you do not find the full text of the article click on the links to search by journal title or by ISSN. This will perform a search in the catalog to determine whether we have that article on paper or film. Remember, we have many, many journals that are not available online!
- If you determine we do not have the article online or in the library, you can click on the Submit an Interlibrary Loan Request link. This currently takes you to a page that will connect you with your online library account to make the request. Eventually, you should be connected right to a form that you can fill out, as is the case with our old software.
We realize it can be frustrating when things you are used to change, but we think that you will be very happy with the better results this new full-text finder will provide. If you have any questions, you can always contact a reference librarian for more assistance.
