A quicker search across our key online resources

The Wellcome Library's quick search now has more of our key online resources available at the click of a link. Choosing ‘Article’ in the top left hand corner of the quick search will show you the results of your search term in many of our online resources.

Our previous federated search, Research Pro, already provided an easy way to search a number of key databases in one go. Now we have integrated more databases within our quick search, making it even easier to extend your search beyond the Library catalogues to Library-chosen online resources.

Resources are organised thematically (e.g. ‘Medical Collection’) to help you narrow your search in a meaningful way.

We’re making it a little bit easier to login to your Wellcome Library account

From today you can login to your Wellcome Library account witha username of your choice.

Set your username to something more meaningful to you thanyour Library barcode to make future logging in quicker and easier.

How?

To set your new Wellcome Library account username:

• login to your Wellcome Library account (you’ll have to useyour Library barcode and password this time)
• choose ‘Set or change my username’:
  
• set your username
• ‘Submit’:your username is updated and ready to use immediately
• you can also use this button to change your username anytimeyou want

It's on Amazon, but is it in the Library?

The Wellcome Library's quick search is great for finding out what we have if you're already on our web site. But what do you do if you find a book on another web site, like Amazon? Do you open up another browser and search for Wellcome Library? Not if if seems like too much bother.

Now you can search our holdings with one click without leaving the web site you're already on. Just use the Wellcome Library quick search bookmarklet.

Drag and drop the bookmarklet link to your browser's toolbar, or add it to your bookmarked favourites. It's immediately ready and waiting to help you.

Next time you're on a web site like Amazon which uses ISBNs in its URLs, click the bookmarklet and it will automagically look up that book in our quick search.

Have a try yourself:

1. save the Wellcome Library quick search bookmarklet to your browser
2. go to the Amazon page for 'Medical London: city of diseases, city of cures'
3. click your newly-saved bookmarklet to be taken directly to the Wellcome Library's record

Even better - you now know you can read this book in the Library for free.

New update to Wellcome Library’s quick search

The Wellcome Library’s quick search (also known as Encore) now has a new, cleaner look and feel.

Our quick search helps you by giving you one place to search across and dig into the WellcomeLibrary’s collections. 

These new features can help you:

·         pop-out facets for quick selection

·         advanced searching

o       define your search more tightly right from the beginning

o       youu can still edit your search later using the facet suggestions to the left of your search results

·         see your recent searches and the titles you have viewed

o        easy to see what you’ve already searched

o        easy to rerun your search

o        track what you’ve already looked at

·         conveniently request items from our stores directly from your list of saved records

o        request everything you want in one go

o        you can still request items individually, too

·         email, request or export the whole list from one place: your list of saved records. Or choose to do so with just a few records saved in your list. It’s up to you!

Introducing My Lists to the Library catalogue

Today we’re bringing wish list functionality to the library catalogue with the roll-out of a new feature: My Lists.

What is My Lists?

Maybe you need to create a list of items to consult on your next visit to the Library. Or you may be looking for a way to save multiple lists of materials for your various research interests. My Lists lets you do this and more. By using My Lists, you can create a permanent record of library catalogue records for reference, request from the closed stores, export and email.

Another great advantage of this new feature is permanence. If you use My Lists, all lists you create will be saved to your account until you delete them.

My Lists requires a login and PIN, so if you’re not already a Wellcome Library member, register online now to get selected membership privileges. Then check out the catalogue help page to get started using My Lists.

We’re always keen to hear your feedback on our online catalogues and services. Tell us your tales of Library catalogue woes or woohoos by commenting on the blog or sending an email.

New version of Encore released

It’s been nearly a year since we unveiled Encore, the quick catalogue search interface for the Wellcome Library catalogues. While we work to customise the product to suit our users, we also receive updates from the software developers, the most recent of which took place during the last week of January. This new version of Encore brings with it new ways of searching and exporting your data.

Haven’t found what you’re looking for with a simple word search? Look for the related searches tag cloud to launch a new search on similar topics.

Need access to an item online? You can now refine your search to items available online and those available in print format at the Library. Look for the ‘Availability’ box in the left-hand column after you’ve done a search.

Want to export citations directly to your RefWorks account? Now it’s possible! Just look for the ‘Export to RefWorks’ link, located on most records in the catalogue.

And don’t forget, you can also add your own tags to catalogue records, search for Wellcome Trust Centre for the History of Medicine reading lists by tagged course number, and identify hidden gems from many of the Library’s specialised collections.

We welcome all feedback on the Encore catalogue interface. If you haven’t yet checked out Encore, have a go and let us know how you get on. If you’ve been using it for awhile and have comments about how it’s working, we’d like to hear from you, too. You’ll find a link to the online survey here and on each page of search results.

Cleaner and clearer search results in Encore

Encore, the Library’s new user-friendly catalogue interface, has recently undergone a few changes. Just a few weeks ago we upgraded to a new version which offers a better way of saving and emailing records, improved search functionality, and the ability to see other library holdings via WebBridge.

Now, not only is catalogue searching becoming simpler, it’s also getting easier on the eyes. The new Encore has a modern, softer look, with rounded edges, larger display fonts, and enhanced book jacket images. Though we can't claim that Encore will save your eyes, we hope that the new design and the enhanced functionality make it easier to discover what's in the Wellcome Library collections.

Take a look at the new Encore and let us know what you think by completing a feedback survey, located on every catalogue search page.

Eureka!: Resource discovery at the Wellcome Library

Regular visitors to the Wellcome Library website may have noticed the launch of Encore, our new online catalogue interface, during the dark days of February. Summer arrived and brought with it an upgraded version of Encore, which has now been live for more than a week.



What makes Encore such a great discovery tool is the way it exposes all of the material formats, diverse Wellcome Library collections, languages, and subjects relevant to your search. Now that functionality is enhanced with Version 3.0, helping you not only to find resources to support your research, but also to manage that data, explore resources outside the Wellcome Library, and search more effectively. Now you can:

• Easily create lists of catalogued resources and email that list to yourself, colleagues, or friends. Look for the ‘Add to Cart’ link on every catalogue record.
• See from the search results page where to find items in the Library. Gone are the days of making extra clicks to find the crucial shelfmark and location information.
• Explore other library holdings, journal and newspaper databases, and search engines without having to re-enter your search. Click on the ‘Explore’ link from each catalogue record to view the breadth of options.
• Widen your results by wildcard searching. Substituting an asterisk for letters will let you search for variant spellings. For example, a search for anatom* will bring up records with the words anatomy, anatomist, anatomic and anatomical.

Throughout the deployment process, user feedback has been very important to us. Users who submitted feedback via our online or print surveys have been overwhelmingly positive about their experience using Encore, with 77% of respondents reporting that "Encore is very easy to use." Positive comments include:

“You don't need to be overly specific - it brings up all the related hits.”



“Great way to find MA dissertations”



“It is a good adjunct to the original cataloguing system. If I am stuck for sources, I try using encore, to see the original search is missing additional material.”



“I think it is an excellent system as it is clear and leads you to look at other fields which perhaps wouldn't have been so obvious. It has helped me find a wide range of books and articles to look into for the topic I am researching.”

Spend a few minutes with Encore and see if you agree. Then let us know what you discovered via our online survey! Your feedback, both good and bad, will help us guide the ongoing development of this product.

Encore catalogue open for tagging

In February the Wellcome Library launched Encore, its new catalogue search tool. Even though it is still being tweaked to best suit the needs of our users, Encore is already making an impact.

Encore offers registered Library users the ability to tag books, journals, multimedia, photos, archival materials and more, with personally relevant keywords and descriptions. The tags then become searchable in the catalogue and appear in a tag cloud for all to see and use. Tags in the catalogue allow you to:

• create a virtual reading list
• use your own preferred terms to organise your research
• discover materials that have been similarly tagged by other members of the Wellcome community
• refine your search and explore new directions through the tag cloud.

We've already tagged hundreds of items for you, including Wellcome Trust Centre for the History of Medicine at UCL BSc student dissertations, MA student dissertations, and course readings. To locate these course readings and dissertations, simply search for your course number (for example: hmed3006 and hmedg007), bsc student dissertation, or ma student dissertation.

If you're already a Wellcome Library member, you can use your Library card number and PIN to log into Encore. If you are not already a member of the Wellcome Library, please complete the e-registration form. (On your first visit to the Library, you will need to upgrade to full membership.)

Try using Encore and let us know what you think by completing the short online survey, available from every Encore search screen. Your responses will help direct the development of this new service so that it works for you!

Live launch - Encore: a new way to discover what the library has for you

Launching today, take part in a new era of easy catalogue searching with Encore. From its Google-like single search box, access a wealth of different material from our catalogue in just one click. Enjoy the benefits of tag clouds, and why not add your own? In response to our User Survey, Encore aims to make your searching experience more intuitive, easier and quicker. Have your say by using the feedback form. Follow the Encore links to be part of a brave new world.