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Find More with Find It!

Find it!, a new online search service that is resource rich and easy to use, will be launched on the Library Gateway in January.

The new service which will replace Find Articles and Find Databases will give users access to 500 databases and provide them with a simple way to search multiple databases at once.  In addition, Find it! can also search for images, journals, and reference resources as well as the Library’s own online catalog and digital collections. 

The bottom line: Find it! offers a single interface for searching without users having to understand the complexities of library databases.  It is operated using WebFeat, a federated search engine that has been customized specifically for the Library. 

With Find it!, users can simultaneously search databases preselected for general or subject-focused searches through a singe interface.   Options for displaying, sorting, and saving results are also part of the system.  For those who desire more control, individual database selection is available. 

Find Articles and Find Databases requires a certain level of database knowledge and proficiency, which has often frustrated users.  Find it! addresses this problem and should make it easier for users to find the information they need.  Its interface has been developed based on usability studies and was designed to be easy to use and navigate.

A campuswide publicity campaign announcing Find it! will begin in January. WebFeat will be the focus of the next Reference and Outreach Forum on November 28 and a Find it! training session will be held in January for staff.

For more information about Find it! and WebFeat, contact Zsuzsa Koltay, the co-chair of the committee charged with WebFeat's implementation.