The QuickSearch module, designed for first time users and brief information seeking sessions, contains the library's and the user's own preselected group of databases that can be searched simultaneously.

Find a Database offers a complete list of licensed resources made available through or recommended by the library. Users can search an index of these resources by keyword, vendor, type, subject etc. Find a Database also provides end users with a browsable list the resources organized by categories that librarians have chosen and then assigned available resources to. Librarians can assign ratings to the individual resources using a 1-5 scale.

Find a Journal is a searchable A-Z list of electronic and print journals available through the CSU library. An Index of subject headings allows searching of subject headings in enhanced journal records exported from the SFX database.

The MetaSearch module contains access to all of the resources available in the QuickSearch and Find a Database modules but here the user has greater control over how the searching of these resources is setup. MetaSearch's key feature is federated searching, that is searching any number of databases up to ten, simultaneously. Results are merged into a single set of deduplicated records, and these results can be ordered by rank, date, title, author or listed individually by database.

MySpace offers the authenticated user with the ability to customize MetaLib to suit their information needs. Here an individual can create their own Quick Sets of searchable databases, manage citations saved from previous searches, and organize the citations into various folders that the MetaLib user can create. These citations can be exported or printed from MetaLib. Users can setup alerts for searches that find new articles not previously located. When MetaLib finds a new citation the system sends the end user an e-mail message notifying then that a new citation has been found. MySpace also allows the MetaLib user to choose display modes in MetaLib, choosing between brief and table views for citations, database descriptions and Journals.

[Back to the SLI Page]