Louise ColeSenior Information Advisor

30/6/09 and 2/7/09

Finding and accessing e-resources

Summary

Access from the Library catalogue (Prism/OPAC) Access from the A-Z e-resources Access from the A-Z e-journals Off-campus access Support issues

Access from the Library Catalogue

Journals in the A-Z list now also listed in the catalogue as MARC updates

New update file loaded each month A-Z continues to update after a 24 hour delay Records separate from print title Judith currently weeding out duplicate entries

and alerting e-subs to any outstanding problems See Abacus for an example

Access from the A-Z e-resources

Access from the A-Z e-journals

Off-campus access: where a student might have to click

Single sign-on problems at journal and/or article level; database level sign-on much simpler

Terminology is not always the same from one resource to another …

Nor is the position of the log in button or link … Nor is the process once you’ve clicked on the link … Even if your starting point is StudentSpace!

Those buttons – some examples

Off-campus access … some solutions

Screenshot project: step by step instructions in PowerPoint and later, in Captivate

Public notes available in E-journals A-Z and in 360 Link

Put pressure on publishers to standardize terminology

Any ideas to simplify process for students welcome

+ revamp of E-resources FAQs on the way

The interactive bit …

Three scenarios. Work in groups. Imagine this is a real enquiry – what would you

do? Include any checks you would make and any

issues you can identify.

Scenarios

1.A student would like to view full-text of an article. The journal is listed in the A-Z e-journals but she can’t access the content.

2. A student has followed a link from the A-Z e-resources into Ingenta. He is being asked for payment when he tries to access an article of interest.

3. A student has successfully logged into StudentSpace but can’t get access to a database from the A-Z e-resources.

Scenario 1

A student would like to view full-text of an article. The journal is listed in the A-Z e-journals but she can’t access the content.

Check A-Z e-journals. Is the year of the article she is trying to access included in our coverage?

Try it yourself. Are you getting a request for payment or an error message?

Is the site showing that we subscribe to the content (although this is not always obvious)?

Try another article from the same journal – same result? Check student’s record as they may be on grace logins which would

block them from any external authentication.

Scenario 2

A student has followed a link from the A-Z e-resources into Ingenta. He is being asked for payment when he tries to access an article of interest.

Check whether we do subscribe to that journal by searching for it in the A-Z e-journals. Not everything in Ingenta is available in full-text to us.

Look for any hints about accessing the content in A-Z e-journals. Check whether the subs icon is visible against the content in Ingenta. Try it yourself – do you get the same request for payment? Check their user record to see if they are an odd category of user

such as partner college or external – this might block their access.

Scenario 3

A student has successfully logged into StudentSpace but can’t get access to a database from the A-Z e-resources.

Check A-Z e-resources list for any notes relating to access problems. Check their user account to see if they are on grace logins. Suggest

they change their password and then try again – note this takes a while to synchronise before they will be able to access with the new password.

Try it yourself. Can you get access to the database? Note any error messages that you see.

Support issues

Check whether problem is on-campus Check yourself whether you can get into the resource Check whether enquirer is trying to access dates we don’t

have (check coverage in A-Z e-journals) Check whether any public notes have been followed Take note of any error messages Check user record to see if any problems, e.g. grace

login If still not sure email eresources@kingston.ac.uk or

advise enquirer to do so with full details