When you know what you want then use the simple search.
Start by clicking Library Search on the top menu bar.
Sign into the Library Search to get access to your library account and get easier access to resources.
You will be asked to enter your NHS Scotland OpenAthens account details.
Staff with an NHS Scotland work email should choose the first option and sign in with their NHS Scotland work email. Staff who do not have an NHS Scotland work email should choose the second option and enter their OpenAthens account details.
If you do not have an account go to our OpenAthens account pages.
Searching for a book
Type the title into the Library Search box.
Use the pre-search filters under the search box to limit the results. Using the ‘starts with’ option will change the third field to ‘in title’. Leave at the default if you are not sure what the title is.
Click the search icon (
) to run the search.
Use the filters on the left of the search results to narrow down your results
To see if the book is available as a print item in a library use the Library filter on the left-hand side of the screen.
To search for an online version, deselect the ‘Available in Library’ option and choose the ‘Full Text Online.
Click on the ‘full text’ link in the item record to go to the publisher’s website.
Searching for an article
Type the title into the search box using the pre-search filters under the search box to limit results to articles.
Click the search icon (
) to run the search.
For any of the results that look interesting, you can go straight to the PDF, read online, or view the other content in the issue.
Finding an article that does not appear in the Library Search
Users need to be signed in to see these features.
If the item you want does not appear in the Library search choose the ‘Expand My Results’ option on the left-hand side of the search results.
Click on the item you want to open the full record.
Check if there is an Open Access version available in the Get it section.
If there is not then NHS Scotland staff can choose the ‘Get It For Me’ option to bring up a pre-populated form. Users should choose to submit and the local library service will order a copy. Articles will usually be delivered by email.
Non- NHS Scotland staff who want to request an article should contact the Knowledge Services helpdesk
Searching for a journal
Type the title into the search box and use the pre-search filters under the search box to limit the results to Journals.
Click on the journal title or online access and this will take you through to the item record where you will see the volumes and the years the journal is available for, as well as the publishers and vendors providing access.
Clicking on the Publisher Link will take you to the external website providing access.
If you click on the view journal contents option, a site will open in a new tab or window where you can browse full text content.
Click to directly download the PDF or view the article on the publisher website.
If you would like to explore each journal titles available for a particular topic area, choose the find eJournals option at the top of the Library Search screen.
The site will open and a new tab or window where you can browse subscribed journals by topic, or search for a specific journal.
