Next-Generation Melvyl Pilot FAQs
What is the Next-Generation Melvyl
Pilot?
This is a project to create a replacement for the current Melvyl Catalog,
which is the joint catalog of all ten University of California (UC)
campuses. The pilot will enable users to see not only what is at their
own institution but also what is available at all the UC campuses and
globally. It is a joint project of the UC libraries and OCLC.
Who can try this out?
Anyone can try the pilot system, whether on a UC campus or elsewhere.
Why should I try this pilot?
Since this pilot is substantially different from the existing Melvyl
Catalog, user feedback is essential to help managers determine whether it
meets the needs of UC students, faculty, and staff.
How long is this pilot in effect?
The pilot will be launched in May and will last at least six months.
What can I find in it?
The database includes high level catalog records for books, journals,
movies, maps, music scores and recordings, computer files, dissertations,
government documents, and other items held by the libraries of the ten UC
campuses. It also includes some records for UC books being digitized by
Google. There are also citations for articles in education (from journals
indexed in ERIC), medicine and health (from journals indexed in MEDLINE),
U.S. government publications (from journals indexed in GPO), and general
topics (from journals indexed in ArticleFirst and "British Library Inside"), with links to full-text or
print-copy information for journals for which there is a UC subscription.
Technical details on which
items are included in the Next Generation Melvyl Pilot. For more
information, ask a librarian.
What resources are not included in this
pilot?
The pilot does not include items for which we have only minimal cataloging data (mostly older materials), or any items in the Giannini Foundation of Agricultural Economics Library.
Items in the Law Library and Earthquake Engineering Resource Center are included, but the system does not yet associate them with UC Berkeley or University of California Libraries. To make sure of getting these items, set your search to include "Libraries worldwide" and go to that level in the results.
Likewise, the following libraries are included, but only under "Libraries worldwide": California Academy of Sciences, California Historical Society, California State Library, Center for Research Libraries, Graduate Theological Union, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and UC Hastings College of the Law.
Article citations other than those indexed in ArticleFirst, ERIC, GPO,
MEDLINE, and "British Library Inside" are not included.
How should I search?
For help in searching, click on the Get
Help link in the upper navigation bar on the search screen.
How are resources displayed?
Resources are sorted in order of relevance, with items at the local campus
shown first. You can sort by author, title, and date, and search results
can be refined in a number of ways. Click on the Get Help link in the
upper right-hand corner of the results screen for more information.
This catalog also contains article
citations. Can I get the full text of the articles?
Yes, where the UC libraries have a subscription to an electronic journal,
you can access the full text of an article by using UC-eLinks. You can
also use UC-eLinks to find out where print copies of the journal are
located.
Can I use this to search for materials at
my local public library?
Yes, you can enter your zip code and search local libraries first.
How can I request materials?
At the beginning of the pilot, use UC-eLinks to request materials. Later
in the pilot, the Request service available in the current Melvyl Catalog
will be added to the pilot.
If I see a title I want at another
library, can I get it?
Yes, UC users can use UC-eLinks to place an interlibrary borrowing request
to obtain an item from another library.
How can I provide feedback about this
pilot?
Provide feedback by using the Survey button at the top right of the screen
or through the Feedback link at the bottom of the screen. In the help
section, you can also find a link to Ask a
Librarian at your campus. We want to hear from you!
What is OCLC?
OCLC is the Online Computer Library Center, a non-profit, membership
computer library service and research organization serving an
international network of libraries. OCLC services help libraries locate,
acquire, catalog, access, and lend library materials. www.oclc.org/worldcat/
Copyright © 2011
The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.
Last updated 04/19/11. Server manager: contact
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