UW Libraries Information Gateway Tutorial Script

Welcome to the UW Libraries Information Gateway tutorial. This tutorial will teach you how to use some of the most essential features of the Information Gateway.

1. First you will learn how to use the UW Libraries Catalog to locate resources.
2. Then you will find out about borrowing items, including renewing items and viewing your library record.
3. Next you will learn how to use the Databases and Catalogs to find resources.
4. Finally, you will learn about connecting from home – including using the proxy server.

Let’s begin looking at the Information Gateway homepage. Notice the six main category headings with links listed below each heading.

If you are trying to find resources, “Find It!” is the place to be. The first link under “Find It!” is the UW Libraries Catalog. If you click here you will have some choices on how to search the Libraries Catalog. [Click on UW Libraries Catalog]

You can search by author or title if you know the item you are searching for. [Mouse over author, then title.]

If you know a keyword or want more options in your search, then you can choose to search by keyword. [Mouse over.]

Another helpful way to search is using the Library of Congress Subjects. Items in the library are categorized by these subject headings. If you learn the Library of Congress Subject Heading terms in your field, then you can find all the items that experts have placed under each given subject heading. [Mouse over.]

Let’s do an example UW Libraries Catalog search:
Pretend that you want to find Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man. You could do an author search [click] for Ralph Ellison -- last name, comma, first name. [Type in title and click on ‘Search.’]

The results page shows items authored by Ellison, including Invisible Man. You can click on Invisible Man to find out where it is located. You’ve found it. Now you just need to find the book in the library. Or you can use the Request feature and a librarian will grab it from the shelf for you and deliver it where you request.

Let’s return to the Information Gateway homepage, which you can do by clicking on the logo in the upper left-hand portion of the screen. Imagine that you want to see what items you have checked out and when they are due….and maybe renew them if they are due soon.

Look under the heading “Get It!” and you will see an option to “View Your Record.” [Click] Click to log in. Now you need to use the barcode number on your UW Husky card. The barcode is a long number that starts with 29352.

The second field asks for your pin number. If this is the first time you have viewed your record, then you do not have a pin number. Leave the pin number field blank and click to submit. [Click] You will be prompted to enter a pin number. You can only use numbers, and you must use at least four numbers.

Once you are have entered your pin you can see how many items you have checked out and when each one is due. You can even renew them with a few quick clicks.

You’ll notice that under the “Find It!” heading there is also a link for Databases and Catalogs The Databases & Catalogs link [click on it] is an alphabetical list of many indexes and full text databases to which the University subscribes. Each database works a little bit differently, so you need to learn the ropes, but you can find a lot of information using these databases.

If you think there are too many databases listed for you to sort through, the UW Libraries provides a list of the Top 20 Databases. If you look to the left of the screen you will see a list of links – the same links that are available on the Gateway homepage. Click on Top 20 Databases and you will find a list of 20 of the best databases available.

Anyone can access any of these resources when they are in a University building. However, if you're connecting remotely from off-campus, many of these are limited to UW-affiliated users only -- these say "UW Restricted" next to them. [Mouse over]

Since these databases are designed to be restricted by IP address, you must connect by using what we call the Proxy Server so that your connection from off campus will be recognized as a valid UW IP address.

To find out about connecting using a proxy server click on “Connecting” under Help on the links at the left edge of the screen.

If you have questions about the Proxy Server, this page should answer them.

If you want to connect, click on the Proxy Server Wizard. You need to provide authentication to use the proxy server. For your username, enter your barcode and for your password, enter your pin number -- just like when viewing your record or renewing items. If you do not have your barcode linked to the library database or have not set up a pin number, the proxy server will not work.

Once you have successfully entered in your correct Barcode and PIN and clicked on “check it,” [click] the proxy wizard will guide you through configuring your browser. Then you can access all of the restricted databases. Using the UW Connectivity Kit (the UWICK Kit) is another way to configure your home computer to use UW restricted resources. The UWICK Kit is available for $19.00 from the University Bookstore.

In this tutorial you have learned how to use the UW Libraries Catalog, how to view your record and renews items, how to use the databases and catalogs, and how to connect using the proxy server.

If you still have questions about the Information Gateway or about the UW Libraries in general, please visit an information desk and ask a librarian. Happy reading and researching.