Frequently Asked Questions About METALIB
Which information resources can I access off-campus?
Most resources are accessible off-campus. However, some will prompt you for an Athens password or your CU Login when you come to view search results - you can find out more here using the Off-Campus Access page
What do I do if my password doesn’t work with MetaLib off-campus?
Contact InsrvConnect:
Visit: 40-41 Park Place, Monday to Friday 9.00 to 17.00
Telephone: 029 2087 4487, Monday to Friday 8.00 to 22.00
Email: insrvconnect@cardiff.ac.uk
How do I get help with MetaLib?
First try the Help, Guide and other FAQs in the MetaLib menu. If your question is still unanswered, ask at a library information desk, or email metalib@cardiff.ac.uk .
I've found in MetaLib a broken url link or a resource that is not working properly; whom should I contact?
Please email metalib@cardiff.ac.uk .
What password should I use to log in to MetaLib?
Use your usual Cardiff University username and password to log in to MetaLib.
What if I do not have a Cardiff University log in?
If you are an NHS Wales user without a Cardiff University username and password, you can use the Self Registration option on the Log In screen.
You will have access to a range of open access resources, arranged for you in the subject heading NHS. You will also have access to the personalisation features of MetaLib, such as email alerts and saved resources and so on.
Why should I log in to MetaLib?
If you don't Log In, only open access (free) resources are available to you. You will not be able to take advantage of the wide range of resources to which Cardiff University subscribes on your behalf.
In addition, many of the personalisation features of MetaLib will be unavailable - you will not be able to save results and searches, for example.
How do I export references from MetaLib into EndNote?
Open the result you want to save in Full View. Click the floppy disc icon to save the record, and then select "Citation Manager" as the format. MetaLib will open a dialog box to ask in which library you would like to save the record.
To save multiple references, first save the references to My Space by clicking the "+" button. In My Space, Saved Records, you can then select multiple records to save to Citation Manager, as above.
What should I do if I feel a resource is missing from a subject category in MetaLib?
Ask the information specialist who looks after the subject area.
Why is the number of records retrieved in MetaLib limited to 30?
Retrieving the records from a resource can take a long time. To provide users with a set of records to work with in a reasonable time, a limit of 30 is imposed.
You can retrieve more records by clicking on "combine more".
Note that MetaLib retrieves the first 30 records, not necessarily the 30 most relevant to your search.
Why can't I search a particular resource in MetaLib?
Resources that do not have a checkbox (in MetaSearch), or the magnifying glass icon (in Find Resource) cannot be searched from MetaLib directly.
This is generally because the resource itself does not support remote searching.
You can still search the resource by clicking on it to open it in a new window, then searching directly in the resource website.
I want to search an individual e-Journal; how do I do that using MetaLib?
The content of individual e-journals can be searched through the publisher that provides them. Find the e-journal which interests you, and click the information button to display the name of the publisher(s) resource through which we subscribe.
Now find the resource and enter your search term against it. Note that your term will be searched against all the e-journals included in the resource.
A small number of e-journals allow you to search the contents of just one journal - click the journal name to open it in a new window.
How do I use MetaLib to find the e-journals that relate to a particular subject area?
MetaLib does not yet present e-journals by subject area, though it is a planned development. In MetaLib, you can currently search by title or ISSN only.
To browse e-journals by subject, use ejournals.cardiff.ac.uk , or look at Information resources by subject.
How do I create my own Quicksets in MetaLib, to search in QuickSearch?
First, find the resources you want to search, and save them in My Space by clicking the + button. Then, in My Space, My Resources, save the resources into a folder with a meaningful name.
You will now see that folder presented as a Quickset on the QuickSearch page.
When I click on a resource name in MetaLib, nothing happens. Why is that?
Not all resources in MetaLib have a web address. For example, standalone CD-roms or important book collections are included to highlight their availability, but you cannot link to them.
What does "Search and Link" mean in MetaLib?
Some resources can be searched from MetaLib, but cannot return the full results to MetaLib. That is, although MetaLib can send the search request to the resource, and often also determine whether there are hits, you have to click to view the results in the resource website itself. You cannot view the results directly in MetaLib.
Why is there a delay between the number of number results appearing and the actual results themselves?
The first information MetaLib receives is the number of results found in the resource - this appears quickly. However, in order to combine the results in the appropriate order, MetaLib has to retrieve the first 30 full records from each resource before showing them. The delay is simply the time it takes for these results to be transmitted to MetaLib.
How do I carry out a keyword search in MetaLib?
MetaLib uses a phrase search, so searching for "Elgin Marbles" returns only records where the words appear together in that order. To find records which mention the words "Elgin" and "Marbles" anywhere, join the words with "and" in the search term box. Just type Elgin and Marbles - no quotes are required.
You can also type Elgin or Marbles, to return records where either one or both words appear.
The Advanced search option allows you to search for two separate terms, linked with a boolean operator (and/or/without), and also lets you select the resource fields in which to search.
Why is the MetaLib relevance ranking different from the ranking in the resource itself?
Some resources do not return a relevance ranking at all, so MetaLib always uses its own relevance algorithm.
Remember that it is the first 30 results that are returned to MetaLib, not necessarily the most relevant 30. You may need to refine your search to get fewer results, or combine more results (i.e. retrieve more from the resource), or even visit the resource website itself.
When I click the "Get Full Text" button, or select the full text in the SFX box, I get a "not found" error in the resource itself - why?
Some full text resources seem to have errors in their databases. For example, only some of the pages from a particular journal issue might be recorded.
The reference itself is correct, and the resource SHOULD have the full text, but for some reason it does not. Try to use an alternative full text source if possible, or use a print copy of the journal.
Email metalib@cardiff.ac.uk with the details, so that we can follow it up with the publisher.