Accessing the library off campus is simple: as long as you are logged into your Microsoft account (unionky.edu), you can access library materials through Usearch!
If you are using a VPN, just make sure you are logged into your Microsoft account, and you will have full access to the library's website.
Logging onto Library Databases:
University access to databases should be automatically connected when you access databases directly from the library website. Access will be listed usually at the top of a database and look something like this JSTOR example:
Notice at the top of the page where it says "Access provided by Union College, Barbourville KY." If a database does not say this or says something like "Institutional Access," click on that link. It should bring you to a page that gives you the option to search for Union College KY or Union Commonwealth University. When you select our institution, it will either bring you to the Microsoft login page if you are not already logged in or it will automatically connect you if you are connected via Microsoft.
If you need assistance accessing databases from off-campus, please see the "Contact Us" section.
Here is what greets you when you visit the library website:
Below is a breakdown of the library homepage sections:
Uchat is a service where you can chat directly with a library staff member during our open hours. A more detailed description of how to use Uchat can be found below.
Usearch is the general library catalog. You can search books in the physical collection as well as digital resources. A detailed walkthrough of Usearch can be found below.
This list contains individual research guides for nearly every major, minor, and graduate program available at Union Commonwealth University. A detailed walkthrough of our research guides can be found here.
This list includes all databases you have access to through the library. You should automatically be logged in through Union's access when you click on this link as long as you are logged into your Union Microsoft account.
If you are needing assistance on how to conduct research, developing a topic, or evaluating source, this is a great guide that includes videos and detailed topic sections.
During open hours, Uchat is monitored by library staff members, and it's purpose is to provide quick reference assistance.
Types of questions you can get answered through Uchat include (but are not limited to):
When using Uchat, you will see what staff member you are chatting with, so if you want to contact that staff member directly in the future, you know exactly who to go to.
Through Uchat, library staff cannot:
If you are in need of technical support, email support@unionky.edu
Uchat is only functional when the library is open, so when the library is closed, this message will appear.
When clicking on "Email us using this form," you will be brought to the "Ask a Librarian Form."
Fill out your contact information in the form and provide an explanation of the help you need. A librarian should reach out to you the next morning to help you. If someone does not reach out to you by the end of the day, reach out again via email.
Usearch is the basic search feature to find materials in the library collection. It will show all of the physical books in the library's collection and a portion of the eBooks and articles in the library's collection. Usearch pulls from a lot of the databases the library has access to, but it won't show absolutely everything from every single database, which makes Usearch good for initial research but switching to a specialized database is key for detailed research.
Top Tabs:
This is the default tab when using Usearch.
No limiters will be selected when using the "Everything" tab. We will discuss limiters further below. If you don't have a format preference, use this tab to search.
When searching for a topic under the Books/eBooks tab, the "eBooks" and "Print Books" limiters will be applied.
Use this tab to search if you are just looking for Books and eBooks.
When searching for a topic under the "Articles" tab, the "Articles" limiter will be applied.
Use this tab to search if you are just looking for Articles.
When searching for a topic under the "Videos" tab, the "Videos" limiter will be applied.
Use this tab to search if you are just looking for Videos.
When searching for a topic under the "Open Access" tab, the "Open Access" limiter will be applied.
Use this tab to search if you are just looking for Open Access materials. Learn more about Open Access Resources (OAR) here.
Searching using Usearch:
Whether you use the "Everything" tab or one of the specific format tabs, your initial search will result in a page similar to this:
Notice the over 7,000 results when searching for well-researched topic like William Shakespeare. There are different ways to limit your search using "limiters" on the left-hand side of the screen:
"Limit To"
This section features some popular limiters for your search:
"Publication Year"
If your professor requires you to only view material from a certain date range, this is how you limit the search.
"Filter by Format"
Use these limiters when you are looking for materials in a specific format.
The above limiters are the most popular selections when limiting by format. You can use the limiters below these three to filter by more specific formats.
"Filter by Subject"
By default this tab is hidden while doing a search. Here is just a small selection of options to choose from when filtering by subject. This is a great way to only pull resources on a specific topic if your research subject is very narrow.
Usearch does provide a good selection of materials, but if you are doing more focused research, it is best to search on subject-based databases.
At My Library
By default, Usearch will only show materials owned by Union Commonwealth University. By clicking on "Libraries Worldwide," you can view the materials owned by all libraries. You can request materials not owned by WTML by placing an Interlibrary Loan request.
Miscellaneous Filters
At the bottom of the filter list, there are some filters that are hidden by default. These filters can help you narrow down your search but are not as common as the filters above.
Finding Books in the Library
When clicking on a title for a physical book in the WTML collection, you will be brought to a page like this. The lefthand side of the page has all of the bibliographic information of the book: title, author, publisher, date, etc.
The "Access Options" box on the righthand side tells you where in the library the book is located and is broken down as follows:
The library has two floors, both with different collections:
WTML uses the Dewey Decimal System to organize books. Aside from the Stacks, all call numbers will have a three letter prefix for the collection in which the book is located (KAH, CGG, JUV, etc.).
Accessing eBooks from Usearch
Similar to a physical book, the lefthand box of a eBook listing has the bibliographic information for the eBook.
To access the eBook, click on the "View eBook" button in the "Access Options" righthand box. Clicking this link will bring you to the database in which the eBook is housed.
Each database has different options to view the eBook, but all of them have the option to view the book on your web browser along with the option to download portions of the eBook. When selecting the option to download, the database will warn you about how many pages of the eBook you can download (usually between 50 and 100 pages).
The EBSCO database has the option to fully download the eBook, so you can read it offline. In order to download the full eBook, you will need to be signed into your MyEBSCO account (same login as Usearch). You must have Adobe Digital Editions in order to checkout/download the eBook, which can be borrowed for up to one week. After the checkout time has lapsed, you will no longer have access to the eBook via Adobe Digital Editions. The title of the eBook might still show up in your Adobe Digital Editions library, but it will not allow you to access it. As long as the eBook is available, you can check it out again.
If the "View eBook" button does not take you directly to a link to the eBook, click on "Report a broken link." This will send a report to the library, and we will fix the link.
Accessing Articles from Usearch
Clicking on an article title on Usearch, you will be brought to a page like this. The lefthand box will have the bibliographic information for the article along with the database that houses the journal article.
To access the article, click on the "View full text" button in the righthand "Access Options" box. This should bring you directly to the database in which the article is housed. You can also click on "Alternate Links" to see all the databases that house the digital journal.
If the link takes you to a search list on the database or to a link that is not the article itself, please email the library, so we can fix the problem link.
There are two different processes for requesting materials for InterLibrary Loan, depending on the type.
See below for the option that applies to the material you are seeking.
You may request journal articles from the library by using the form below. Please provide as much bibliographic information as possible.
If you have any questions, please contact the library at (606) 546-1240 or by email at library@unionky.edu.
This database contains all the records cataloged by OCLC member libraries. An Interlibrary Loan (ILL) form is attached to each title record.
As part of the government documents depository library program, the library will request loans of government documents for anyone, including the general public. Non-Union College patrons should contact the library directly.