Product Spotlight: Third Iron
Medical researchers look for information everywhere and from anywhere. Sites like Google and PubMed are common starting places. Searches start from personal devices or networked computers found in offices, labs, and waiting rooms. While searching this way is convenient, it often leaves researchers unaware of what full text content is available or how to access it.
Many factors determine whether researchers actually get to their articles of interest. Those include: which journals a library subscribes to; whether the source is from a publisher or aggregator; what location a researcher is searching from and whether that location is within an approved IP range; what authentication might be needed for access; and which links a user is clicking on. Researchers can hit paywalls, be unwittingly linked to an article that has been retracted, or possibly linked to a non-peer-reviewed manuscript on a repository or social media site.
To avoid these access problems, and to ensure researchers are connecting to the best full text available, hundreds of medical libraries around the world have made LibKey Nomad available to their community and have installed it on their networked computers. LibKey Nomad uses the patented, Third Iron technology that combines article-level intelligence with expert system source selection to provide fast, reliable, and informed access to full text. Once installed, LibKey Nomad places “Download PDF” buttons next to article citations on webpages like PubMed to clearly indicate when full text articles are available, and provides one-click access to them. When full text is not available, the LibKey Nomad button provides “Access Options” which takes users to library document fulfillment options, such as ILL. And if an article has been retracted, or issued an expression of concern, the LibKey Nomad button will indicate this as well. LibKey Nomad supports all popular browsers, including Chrome, Edge, Safi and Firefox.
The new ++ addition adds elements to LibKey Nomad that improve researcher workflow. Domain-level messaging enables libraries to add messages on websites that can direct users to access or provide helpful information. For example, if the library provides access to the New York Times from ProQuest, a message can be added to the nytimes.com domain that directs users to ProQuest for access. Bibliographic export can be activated so users can send citations to their favorite service like Zotero or Endnote. If a chat service like LibChat is being used, it may be added to LibKey Nomad, enabling libraries to extend chat engagement to websites users visit. With the included Design Studio, the LibKey Nomad colors may be changed and a custom logo added.
Six medical libraries have shared the benefits they have seen in using LibKey Nomad in case studies, including how they successfully worked with their IT departments to install LibKey Nomad on networked computers, how LibKey Nomad led to a significant increase in library resources, created time savings for clinicians and library staff, and delighted users.
Ready to improve outcomes at your library? Contact info@thirdiron.com to request more information and free trial access!