UW Libraries Launches LibKey

Jan 8, 2024

UW Libraries is pleased to announce the activation of LibKey Discovery, part of a suite of powerful scholarly access tools designed to remove barriers and increase efficiencies around digital access by providing one-click access to articles. By reducing the number of steps it takes to find, view and download materials, LibKey will save researchers countless hours of time, as well as reduce the demand on help desks and unnecessary ILL requests to better meet the expectations of students, faculty and researchers.

"We couldn’t be more excited to launch LibKey Discovery,” says Anne Pepitone, Head, Integrated Library Systems.  Based on user feedback regarding the challenges in accessing  full-text articles in UW Libraries Search, we wanted to find a way to improve the experience for all of our users. This is the first phase of implementation for a suite of additional LibKey products that will be launched in Spring Quarter."

LibKey will dramatically improve access via Library Search results and alleviate the past challenges of accessing articles, particularly within PubMed and popular journals like Nature or Science due to multiple access points. With better, more seamless access,  LibKey has the potential to turn many interlibrary loan requests into direct access to articles, saving time for both the user and Library staff.

Users do not need to sign up or take any additional steps to benefit from the new system as it is integrated into UW Library Search and existing library access points. A detailed LibGuide with an “FAQ” and video are available.

###