Help Topics

What is MetaLib?

MetaLib is a library portal providing end users with an easy and personalized interface which can search simultaneously for information in a variety of electronic resources, such as catalogs, reference databases, digital repositories or subject-based Web gateways. These information resources are collectively referred to as databases. Once you have found the information in which you are interested, MetaLib provides you with the tools to save it for future reference in your E-shelf, save it to disk or send it by email.

You can search multiple databases in parallel using the Basic, Advanced and Expert modules. You can also search individual databases using the A-Z Resource List module. The A-Z Resource List module enables you to locate specific databases and to create your own sets of databases for searching at your convenience. You can also link to the native interface of these databases and perform a search using the resource’s search engine.


Back to Top

Accessibility in MetaLib

MetaLib’s Web Accessibility Features

The MetaLib 4.xx User Interface was developed to comply with leading international accessibility standards: For more information about Accessibility, refer to section What is Web Accessibility below.

MetaLib’s Accessibility Options

MetaLib has incorporated the following user interface design features to comply with accessibility standards:


Recommendations for users using screen readers

In order to make full use of the features added to MetaLib 4.xx for accessibility, before activating the screen reader, it is recommended to:

What is Web Accessibility?

Web accessibility enables people with disabilities to use the Web. It enables them to perceive, understand, navigate, contribute to and interact with the Web.

Web accessibility encompasses a range of disabilities that affect access to the Web, including visual, auditory, physical, speech, cognitive and neurological disabilities.

Web users may have a variety of difficulties when accessing MetaLib Web pages, which were considered during MetaLib Web design:
  • Users may not be able to see, move, or may not be able to process certain types of information
  • Users may have difficulty reading or comprehending text
  • Users may not be able to use a keyboard or a mouse
  • Users may have a text-only screen or a small screen

Back to Top

How to Use MetaLib


Which Resources Can I Search?

MetaLib enables you to search in a variety of information resources, such as catalogs, reference databases, digital repositories, or subject-based Web gateways. These information resources can be local or remote. In MetaLib, for the sake of brevity, information resources are collectively referred to as "databases".

You can access the native interface of the database by clicking the database name. This enables you to use the database-specific searching options offered by the information provider.

Each institution determines the databases to which it provides access, allowing you to select individual or groups of resources via the following search modules
  • Basic is the easiest search to use. Resources are organized into resource groups called QuickSets You can search the default list of databases.
  • Advanced lets you select from other ready-made QuickSets prepared by the institution, or QuickSets that you have prepared (My Resources).
  • Expert provides control over which specific databases are searched and provides a variety of additional options. You can locate databases in several ways, such as by title, by category and subcategory or by other criteria. You can also use database lists that the institution has prepared (QuickSets) or that you have prepared (My Resources).
  • The A-Z Resource List function enables you to locate databases in several ways, such as by title, by category or subcategory, or by other criteria. Once you find an interesting database, you can search it on the spot if the search icon icon is displayed, or you can add it to your database clipboard, along with other databases using the add to favorites icon. You can use this database clipboard build your own database lists (My Resources). Note that a guest's database list is not saved when a session ends.

Back to Top

Searching Overview

MetaLib provides the following search options:
  • Basic: Basic is fast and easy. You can simply enter a term and click Go to perform a search on the default list of resources.
  • Advanced: You also have the option to select in which set of databases to search. You can select a QuickSet (a set of databases prepared by your institution) or your own lists of databases (called My Resources) from the Advanced tab. The Advanced Search form also provides more options (search fields and Boolean operators) for specifying the information for which you are searching.
  • Expert: The term Expert, also known as integrated searching, federated searching or cross-database searching, means to submit a query simultaneously to several databases. The query is broadcast to each database, and an integrated list of the results is displayed from all the databases according to the results' relevancy rank. Expert provides a variety of options for specifying the databases in which it searches and a variety of options for viewing the results. It also offers an Advanced Search function that enables you to specify fields for the search and use Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT).
  • Search Syntax: MetaLib Keyword Search enables you to enter several search terms in the All Fields, Title and Subject searches, which will be treated as Keywords with Boolean And connectors between them. Exact phrase searching may be performed within these search fields by using quotation marks around the desired phrase.
  • In addition, you can locate a specific database using A-Z Resource List, and then search in it using Search in Resource.
  • Click the database name to access the database’s Web site.
  • You can go back to previous searches performed in the current session using Previous Searches or rerun searches that you saved in History in previous sessions.

Back to Top

Saving What You Find

  • Saving Database Lists: Once you have found the databases in which you want to search, you can add them to your database clipboard, and from there, you can save them to your own database lists (called My Resources). Your database lists can be searched using Advanced .
  • Saving Search Results: Once you have found the results that you want, you can save them in your E-shelf . Your E-shelf is a temporary storage for records that you find interesting. You can later move records from the E-shelf to a My E-shelf folder, save () records to disk (in various formats) or email them.
    You can also save an individual search result or send it by mail from the Full View of the record.
  • Saving Queries: You see all the searches you made during the session in Previous Searches. Once you have found a query that provides you with good results, you can store it for future sessions in History. Note that for Guest users, the History is not saved past the end of a session.

Back to Top

askGPO

To make a suggestion or report a problem for MetaLib please complete and submit the inquiry form available via the askGPO portal using the categories below:

  • To recommend a federal database to add to our resources OR to ask a question about MetaLib, select "CGP Technical Enhancement/MetaLib Resource."
  • To report a MetaLib functionality problem, such as a broken link, please select "Technical Issue: Catalog of U.S. Government Publications (CGP)/MetaLib/Z39.50."

Please remember while MetaLib serves as a federated search engine to provide easy access to multiple federal external databases at once, GPO does not manage or maintain these external databases and cannot address any issues originating with those services.

Back to Top