APRIL 2012

USF Libraries Web Site: The Basics

Outline of Major Elements

Following this brief discussion of the USF Libraries Web Site, you will be familiar with the following important pieces: Getting connected from a remote location "Start Your Search Here"

Find It! The Catalog Google Scholar

Research Tools Guides Quick Links Subject Specialist Directory

Getting Help/Referrals

Getting Connected Remotely

Anyone using the site off-campus must: (1) Either login via VPN (a story for another day), OR (2) Use BlackBoard to authenticate access, OR (3) Login directly to the library site using the NetID

login on the top left of the page This is the most reliable and recommended method! Advise students that Firefox, IE, and Safari are the most

compatible browsers (there are some known issues with Chrome and Opera)

That should do it! If they continue to have trouble, consider referring the patron to a librarian, or to Information Tech (IT)

“Start Your Search Here”

Guess what this is for? This main search box provides a number of options. Make sure you are familiar with: Find It!

This is our new default search. It combines the online catalog with many of our most popular article databases

The Catalog This is the traditional database of books and other

materials owned by the USF Libraries Google Scholar

If used properly (either on campus, or while logged in remotely), will connect users to materials available via USF subscriptions

Research Tools

The “Research Tools” menu expands to display links to most major research catalogs, databases, and other resources

This includes the full A-Z and subject-specific database lists

There are other useful links in this menu, such as: RefWorks, EndNote, and other citation help Research Rescue and Ask-A-Librarian

Guides (aka LibGuides)

Subject Guides Designed by the subject specialists to offer resources

and databases for most academic areas and departments

Most popular ones on the drop-menu, but there’s a full A-Z list available, too. The drop menu does not work on all browsers

Course Guides Same as above, but with lists of resources for specific

coursesHow-to-Guides and Tutorials

Other useful guides and videos for using library resources

Quick Links

This portion of the web site includes links to the following major resources: Top Databases: Some of our most popular online

resources, most of which include articles and other scholarly materials

Research Tools: Other access points for the online catalog, database lists by title and subject, and other important tools

Services & Help: Links to specific lists of services by client-type (students, faculty, visitors) and other help resources

Most of these links are also available in other parts of the site, but this is the list of “greatest hits”

Subject Specialists/Referrals

There are two may ways to find subject specialists:1. The “Guides” menu on the gray toolbar can take you

to the subject portals, each of which will include the appropriate librarian contact information

2. You may click the “Find My Librarian” under the “Help” category of the Quick Links, or under the “About” menu on the gray toolbar

You can also find out more about subject specialists and referrals by looking at these links to other parts of the training module

Questions?

Please let us know if you have any questions!

If this is not a live training demonstration, feel free to contact your supervisor, or one of the librarians, for more help or information

You may also use the email portion of “Ask-A-Librarian” to submit questions, as these inquiries will only go to librarians at the USF Tampa Library