Top geeky techie tips required!

Philip Sadler has asked for a blog post to collate top techie tips. So all you techie geeks out there comment away and let's see how many top tips on using Library eResources we can get :-). Or alternatively why not come and demo your Uber Geek dances to the Library Assistants at the Library Counter ;-) To start you off here is a repeat of Phil's tip, on how to add a new tab in MUSE.

Vic

Maybe we could have a blog on these pages for ideas like this?

TIP for “book-marking” databases in MUSE

You only have to log in to MUSE rather than Athens now, but you still have to navigate to your favourite database start page (OVID SP in my case) via the library indexes, so here’s a geeky trick that you might want to try if you want the OVID page to come up when you first open MUSE.

1. Go the page you’d like to access quickly and copy the address from your web browser,
(in my case it was the OVID page http://www.shef.ac.uk/library/cdfiles/biomed.html)
2. Login to MUSE and click the “Customise Layout” link
3. Click the “Add New Tab” button.
4. Add a name for your tab in the “name the tab” box and select the “Framed - URL:” radio button and add the address you copied in step 1 to the box, then click the submit button
5. Now you will see a page that has all your tabs on so click on the link for the name you used in step 4. On the next page and click “Make this the default Active Tab”. Finally click the “back to …” link at the top right to get back to the tab you just created.
6. Cheer at your IT prowess and do the dance of the Uber geek

When you next login to MUSE that tab will be the first thing you see!

You can add several database pages as tabs by only using steps 1-4 without changing your default page

Geekily yours

Phil

Bookmarking eResources in your Web browser

Ok, so you all keep telling me that connecting to a Library eResource involves too many clicks and I have to say I am inclined to agree. At the moment our eTechnologies  team are working on a project which will authenticate access to the resources using a different system to Athens (Shibboleth) and I am hopeful that the access will then be much quicker and more straightforward.

In the meantime, if you have resources which you visit frequently then it may be worth bookmarking them. This must be done in the following way to ensure access is facilitated:

eJournals and eBooks

• Open your preferred browser


• Connect to the a-z eJournal or eBook listing


• Right click on the required title


• Add to favourites (IE) or bookmark this link (Firefox)

Databases

• Open your preferred browser 


• From the a-z list select the required database


• Right click on the 'connect to ...' link in the quick links box


• Add to favourites (IE) or bookmark this link (Firefox)

When you return to your bookmarked page you will be asked to log into MUSE to meet with our legal obligations. You only need to do this once per browser session. Hope this helps.

I'll keep you posted on the Shibboleth developments.

Vic

Off campus connections to electronic journals

Did you know that all of the journals listed on the University of Sheffield's eLibrary are available from any internet connection in the world? Connecting off-campus is not always as straightforward as connecting from a University pc and as many of you are away on placement, or going home for Easter, I thought it timely to give you some connection advice. Here is what to do in 8 easy (!) steps:

Step 1: Connect to www.shef.ac.uk

Step 2: Login to MUSE

Step 3: Click on the Library tab

Step 4: Select eJournals (under eResources)

Step 5: Select a-z list

Step 6: Find the required title and check the years covered by our subscription. An open ended range indicates that we are still subscribing.

Step7: Click on the required title. The article may open immediately here. If not carry on to step 8.

Step 8: (Where most people fail but it really is easy – once you know how). Connections differ according to the supplier. Often they require you to click on 'login' followed by 'Athens login' or perhaps you will see 'Athens login' immediately. Do not at this stage enter any passwords. All the connections work via MUSE and by simply clicking on 'Athens login' access should be facilitated.

As I said the connection routes vary depending on the supplier and detailed connection instructions for all the suppliers we work with can be found at: http://www.shef.ac.uk/library/elecjnls/ejsup.html If you don’t get access please, please, please contact the Library:

• 0114 2712030


• hsl.rhh@sheffield.ac.uk


• v.grant@sheffield.ac.uk

We can advise you of the route in. Do not enter your credit card number as some of the screens suggest. The University Library is paying huge sums of money to the publishing companies for institutional access to these journals and you therefore don't need to pay again. Buy some Easter eggs or something instead ;-) Remember too that if a journal is not part of our holdings we can still get the article for you from the British Library. Medical students get a free allowance (5 per yr) to do this. Ask at the Library Counter for more info.

Happy Easter Med Students. I'm away for a couple of weeks now. Blogging will resume at the beginning of April.

As long as my musculoskeletal system remains intact during my skiing holiday that is :-)

Vic

Library and information skills clinic

A reminder that we are running a drop-in clinic tomorrow lunchtime (Thurs 6 March, 13.00-14.00) in the Library NHS IT Room at RHH.

So if:

Medline is making you muddled

Athens is 'aving you addled

Ovid is only outwitting you

or

eJournals are always elusive

Come along and we will help.

Vic