MetaLib
From LibraryWiki (University of Huddersfield)
Contents |
[edit] Introduction
Metalib provides a single entry access point to electronic resources (online databases, electronic journals and electronic books) subscribed to by the Library and Computing Centre at the University of Huddersfield.
You can get to MetaLib through BlackBoard and via the University home pages, or you can get there directly by going to:
MetaLib also provides cross database searching -- this allows you to do a single search against multiple resources at the same time.
The following pages cover using the various features of MetaLib in greater depth:
- Basic Search
- My Subject
- E-Journals A-Z
- Meta Search (page under development)
- My MetaLib (page under development)
For information about a specific resource, please see the Electronic Resources page.
[edit] MetaLib Guides, Screencasts and Help Sheets
If you have Adobe Flash Player installed on your computer, then you can watch the following screencasts about MetaLib:
The following guides and help sheets are available for MetaLib:
- http://www.hud.ac.uk/cls/docs/helpsheets/MetaLibHelpsheet.pdf (PDF)
- http://www.hud.ac.uk/cls/infolit/files/step7_metalib_helpsheet.doc (Word document)
There are also a number of guides and helps sheet available for using specific electronic resources.
[edit] System Requirements
To access MetaLib, ideally you need to be using a recent web browser. If your current web browser is below the minimum versions listed below, the you should seriously consider upgrading as your browser is probably insecure.
[edit] web browsers
MetaLib is optimised for the latest generation of web browsers, and the following are recommended as the minimum requirements:
- Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 or higher
- Netscape 7 or higher
- Mozilla 1.5 or higher
- Safari 1.0 or higher
Your web browser must also have JavaScript and cookies enabled.
If you are using an Apple Mac, we recommend that you use the Safari web browser.
Please note that some of the external resources may have differing browser and/or operating system requirements.
[edit] web browsers plug-ins & other software
[edit] Adobe Acrobat Reader
Many of the electronic journal sites display full-text in PDF format, which requires you to have installed on your computer:
If you're experiencing problems viewing PDF files, please see the Acrobat troubleshooting page.
[edit] Logging into MetaLib
To log in to Metalib, go to the MetaLib homepage (http://metalib.hud.ac.uk) and enter your University network log in details:
The username and password are the same ones that you would use to log into a University PC, to enter Blackboard, or to access your Webmail.
Alternatively, you can access MetaLib as a guest user, and then log in by clicking on any of the padlock symbols:
Please note that your Active Directory account may limit the number failed log in attempts you can make within a certain time period.
[edit] Logging out of MetaLib
To log out of Metalib, either close down your web browser window(s) or click on the Log Out icon in MetaLib:
[edit] Off-Campus Access
When accessing resources from off-campus, you should not use anonymous proxy software such as Anonymizer (see this Wikipedia article for further information).
Usage of MetaLib is carefully monitored for suspicious behaviour, such as multiple logins from multiple countries. If you use anonymous proxy software, then you may appear to be accessing MetaLib from multiple countries and this could cause your access to be withdrawn without warning.
[edit] Troubleshooting
Support for MetaLib is available by emailing the Library Systems Team (library.support@hud.ac.uk).
If you are experiencing problems with MetaLib (or any of the resources), then please check the General Troubleshooting Tips page before you ask for support.
[edit] blank list of Schools or Subjects
If you get a blank list of schools or subjects in either Find Database or MetaSearch, then please contact the Library Support staff:
library.support@hud.ac.uk
Please remember to include your full name and campus ID in the email!
[edit] problems viewing PDF files
Please see the Adobe Acrobat Reader page.
[edit] Norton Internet Security
If you are experiencing problems with MetaLib and you use Norton Internet Security, please see the troubleshooting page.
[edit] Availability
For maintenance purposes, the data on the MetaLib server is fully backed up every night. During the backup process, MetaLib is unavailable for short periods between 12am (GMT) and 3pm (GMT).
Occasionally we need to apply patches and upgrades to our MetaLib server, and we will normally do this during the Athens 'at risk' period (Tuesdays 7am - 9am). When possible, we will advertise this in advance on both the MetaLib home page and the Computing Services Systems Availability page.
