MetaLib - General Information
Answers to Frequently Asked Questions
MetaLib is a new service at CSU Libraries. If you do not find the answer to your question here, please fill out the MetaLib Problem Report Form.
What is MetLib?
MetaLib allows you to search up to eight databases or library catalogs at the same time. Additional features such as email alerts, customized resource lists, search histories, and folders to store citations will be available later.
For a more technical explanation of how MetaLib works, see About MetaLib.
Anyone on campus may use MetaLib. CSU affiliates (current students, faculty and staff) will be able to use MetaLib off-campus once the login/password system is working.
During the testing phase, everyone must login as "Guest." More information about logins and passwords will be available to CSU affiliates (current students, faculty, and staff) in the fall.
While MetaLib is under construction, distance users may login to MetaLib as "Guest" and use only the free resources available from off-campus. (On campus users have access to all resources in MetaLib.) Eventually logins and passwords will be available so that both off-campus and on-campus users will have identical access.
Why are there all these broken image links in Netscape?
Netscape 4.7 does not work with the MetaLib software. We recommend using Internet Explorer (IE) version 6 or higher. Newer versions of Netscape may also work.
Some users have experienced a slow response when attempting to retrieve higher numbered records from search results. MetaLib does not download all search results immediately. Pauses in displaying records are usually the result of MetaLib querying the original database for additional records. Slowness may be a problem with individual databases. Feel free to fill out the MetaLib Problem Report Form if you continue to experience problems.
Does MetaLib work with EndNote or other citation managers?
Yes. After selecting a specific citation or group of citations, click on
"Download Records." Then choose "Citation Manager" as the record format.If EndNote is installed on your computer, it will automatically open. You will be prompted to choose a Reference Library (.enl file) to save the records in. For more information about using EndNote with library resources, see the Bibliographic Reference Software Support page.
What's the difference between MetaLib and the Databases list? Why would I use one or the other?
It depends what you'd like to do.
Use MetaLib if you need to:
- search for multi-disciplinary topics
- search more than one database at a time
- retrieve a large number of results at once
- perform a fairly simple search
- search for books (in Sage Library Catalog) and articles (in Databases) at the same time
Use the Databases if you need to:
- find only a couple of articles
- search one or two databases
- search for articles from one discipline or subject
- use specific advanced features (such as limiting your results to scholarly articles)
- search for articles published in one source (such as only New York Times articles)
Help! I got kicked off while using MetaLib!
MetaLib will timeout after 10 minutes of no activity. It's best to email, save or print long articles rather than to read them while in MetaLib.
Ask for help at the Help Desk (970-491-1841). If you do not need immediate help, you may also fill out a Problem Report Form.
