Author: Elizabeth York

  • Introducing the LibKey Nomad Browser Extension

    Google home screen showing on a laptop. A green icon shaped like a teardrop sits in the top left corner of the photo.
    LibKey Nomad links you directly to scholarly articles and ebooks available through Rutgers University Libraries, even when you begin your research on an external website.

    When you find an article or ebook citation on the web, would you like to link straight to the full text available from Rutgers University Libraries? You can do this with the free LibKey Nomad browser extension! LibKey Nomad connects you to many of RUL’s scholarly articles and ebooks, even when you begin your research outside the library website.  

    It is easy to get started with LibKey Nomad: 

    1. Visit the LibKey Nomad download page and select your browser. 
    1. Follow the prompts to download and install the extension. 
    1. Select Rutgers University as your organization.  

    LibKey Nomad is compatible with hundreds of publisher and scholarly websites, search tools, and generative AI tools, including (but not limited to): 

    • PubMed 
    • Google Scholar 
    • Wikipedia 
    • Scopus 
    • Web of Science 
    • Covidence 
    • ChatGPT 
    • Claude 
    • Gemini 
    • Copilot  

    Once you have installed LibKey Nomad, you will automatically see LibKey Nomad links next to citations when you use supported websites and tools. These links will connect you to RUL and OA sources. LibKey Nomad is available for all major web browsers, including: 

    • Chrome 
    • Edge 
    • Firefox 
    • Safari  
    • Brave 
    • Vivaldi 

    You might wonder, how does LibKey Nomad build connections between citations and RUL resources? For articles, LibKey Nomad uses DOIs and PMIDs. For ebooks, LibKey Nomad uses ISBNs. A citation must contain one of these identifiers for LibKey Nomad to be able to connect to full text. Because LibKey Nomad uses these modern identifiers for linking, it is best suited to research projects involving scholarship from the past few decades. It is also important to note that LibKey Nomad cannot connect to electronic resources in other formats (such as streaming videos and images), nor can it provide information about RUL’s physical resources. To view the greatest breadth of library resources available to you, we recommend using QuickSearch and RUL Databases relevant to your area of research.  

    With these qualifications in mind, you can see that LibKey Nomad is an exciting ancillary tool that can boost your usage of RUL resources while browsing the web, easily connect you to paywalled resources, and encourage you to fact-check the citations you find. You may wish to consider how LibKey Nomad could complement your research process and the research processes of the patrons you serve.  

    To learn more about using LibKey Nomad, please visit RUL’s LibKey Nomad page and Third Iron Support 

  • Generative AI Features in Major Databases and Platforms

    Conceptual AI illustration featuring a computerized profile of a human head
    A new LibGuide provides information about generative AI features that are available to users within the Libraries’ major databases and platforms.

    Several platform providers have recently added generative AI features to Rutgers University Libraries’ e-resources. To bring this information together, we created a LibGuide: Generative AI Features in Major Databases & Platforms. This new guide provides information about generative AI features that are available to Rutgers University Libraries users within the Libraries’ major databases and platforms.  

    The guide is written at a general introductory level and may be used by librarians, students, staff, and faculty. Though it cannot exhaustively cover every aspect of each feature, it gives users the basic information they need to get started. Where possible, it includes links to more extensive tool documentation provided by the platforms. As new features are released and updated, the guide will be updated accordingly. In addition, future announcements about new features and updates will link to the guide. 

    This is a focused guide that introduces generative AI features currently available within our major databases and platforms; it is intended to be manageable in scope and useful to a broad audience. It does not cover AI features that are unavailable to Rutgers University Libraries users or AI tools that are located outside of the Libraries’ major e-resources. In this changing environment, the guide will be reviewed periodically to ensure the information is accurate and to confirm that this is still the best way of sharing this information. 

    Rutgers University Libraries faculty and staff are encouraged to familiarize themselves with this guide, consider incorporating these new AI features into their instruction and research, and share it with a broader audience.

  • New Collections and Modules from Adam Matthew Digital

    Adam Matthew logo.

    As a Big Ten Academic Alliance (BTAA) member, Rutgers University Libraries has permanently purchased all Adam Matthew Digital content published from 2019 to 2022, totaling 16 new collections and seven new modules added to our existing collections. In 2020, through Partnership for Academic Library Collaboration and Innovation (PALCI), Rutgers University Libraries permanently purchased all Adam Matthew content published through 2018. With this new purchase, Rutgers now owns all Adam Matthew content published through 2022.

    With this collective purchase as part of the BIG Collection initiative, each BTAA member institution gained all the Adam Matthew collections published through the end of 2022 that it did not yet own. By working collectively, BTAA was able to achieve a reduction of 90% off the list price, and each member’s payment was pro-rated based on the Adam Matthew collections and modules it already owned, so Rutgers paid only for the content it did not yet own.

    Please see the list of Rutgers’ new collections and modules below. We have added every new collection to the Databases list. An easy way to view a list of the new collections is to look at the December 2022 section of the New Databases page. In some cases, we already owned modules in a collection, and now, we have gained an additional module or modules in that same collection. In these cases, we already had a databases list entry for the collection, so we simply added the new module information to the existing database page’s Description section. We are adding all the new collections and modules to QuickSearch as well. Please note that all Rutgers’ Adam Matthew content is also cross-searchable via AM Explorer.

    Adam Matthew Digital produces digitized primary source collections by sourcing original documents and other materials from libraries, museums, and archives worldwide. Because Adam Matthew is based in the United Kingdom, many of the collections concentrate on British history, culture, and literature. However, many other topics are also represented, and the primary source materials have many interdisciplinary uses.

    Please add the Adam Matthew collections to your instructional materials and share them with faculty and students. If you are a subject librarian, please check which collections are relevant to your subject areas. Given the large volume and the need for quick accessibility, preliminary subjects have been assigned to the new collections. Please contact Electronic Resources Librarian Elizabeth York if you want a database added to one of your subjects or to be a Best Bet for your subject(s). Also, please notify Elizabeth if any subject assignments need to be corrected.

     

    New Collections:

    America in World War Two
    Digitized primary sources illustrating United States military and civilian involvement in WWII.

    Central Asia, Persia & Afghanistan, 1834-1922
    Digitized files from the British Foreign Office regarding Central Asia, Persia, and Afghanistan.

    Colonial Caribbean
    Digitized files from the British Colonial Office regarding the Caribbean.

    Early Modern England
    Digitized primary sources illustrating everyday life in 16th- and 17th-century England.

    Ethnomusicology: Global Field Recordings
    Digitized field recordings and accompanying materials from around the world.

    Food and Drink in History
    Digitized primary sources documenting food and drink in global history.

    Foreign Office Files for Southeast Asia, 1963-1980
    Digitized files from the National Archives of the United Kingdom regarding Southeast Asia.

    The Gilded Age and Progressive Era
    Digitized primary sources documenting United States culture, industry, and politics during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

    Interwar Culture
    Digitized periodicals published in the United States and Britain between the World Wars.

    Life at Sea
    Digitized primary sources documenting Anglo-American sea travel from 1600-1900.

    Mass Observation Project
    Digitized archive of the Mass Observation Project, a public opinion survey program conducted by the University of Sussex, dating from 1981-2009.

    Nineteenth Century Literary Society: The John Murray Publishing Archive
    Digitized primary source materials from the John Murray publishing company, a major British publishing house.

    Poverty, Philanthropy, and Social Conditions in Victorian Britain
    Digitized primary sources documenting poverty and efforts to alleviate it in 19th-century Britain.

    Sex and Sexuality
    Digitized primary sources, including materials from the Kinsey Institute, documenting attitudes toward sexuality, gender, and sexual behavior in the United States, Great Britain, and Australia from the 19th to 21st centuries.

    Shakespeare’s Globe Archive
    Digitized production and architectural archives of the reconstructed Shakespeare’s Globe theater in London.

    Victorians on Film
    Digitized films produced during the Victorian era, primarily in Great Britain.

     

    New Modules:

    Colonial America

    Digitized collection of the materials on North American colonies held in the Colonial Office files at The National Archives of the United Kingdom in London. Rutgers previously owned only Modules I-IV. We now also own Module V: Growth, Trade and Development.

    East India Company

    Digitized archives of the London administration of the East India Company and the pre-1947 government of India. Rutgers previously owned only Modules I-II. We now also own Modules III-V:

    • Module III: India Office Records, G: Factory Records for China, Japan, and the Middle East
    • Module IV: India Office Records, E: Correspondence: Early Voyages, Formation, and Conflict
    • Module V: India Office Records, E: Correspondence: Domestic Life, Governance, and Territorial Expansion

    Medical Services and Warfare

    Digitized primary sources documenting medical history during times of armed conflict dating from the mid-19th to the mid-20th century. Rutgers previously owned only Module I. We now also own Module II: 1928-1949.

    Service Newspapers of World War 2

    Digitized newspapers originally produced by members of various service branches on both sides of the conflict. Rutgers previously owned only Module I. We now also own Module II, which contains additional newspaper titles.

    Socialism on Film

    Digitized films originally produced in Communist countries during the 20th century. Rutgers previously owned only Modules I and II. We now also own Module III: Culture and Society.

  • RUL Acquires Volumes I and II of National Theatre Collection Database

    National Theatre Collection, Volumes I and II.
    Photo courtesy of Alexander Street

    Rutgers University Libraries are pleased to announce their acquisition of Volumes I and II of the National Theatre Collection. This collection contains 50 high-definition streaming videos of live theatre productions by the U.K.’s National Theatre, accompanied by archival materials such as prompt scripts and costume designs. It includes both productions of new works by contemporary playwrights and new productions of classic plays, including Greek theatre, works by Shakespeare, and 20th-century classics. These new productions feature contemporary settings, diverse casts and production staff, and modern applications of enduring social issues. Productions feature major directors and actors as well as emerging talent. Rutgers permanently owns the entire contents of Volumes I and II of this collection.