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Category: Library Catalog

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The Library Search Box, also known as Health Information @ Himmelfarb, searches the library’s physical and electronic collections simultaneously. It can also search the holdings of GW’s Gelman Library and Jacob Burns Law Library, and all the libraries in the Washington Research Library Consortium! Here are some tips for getting the most out of your search experience.

Refine Your Results

Health Information @ Himmelfarb searches millions of records and searches frequently return very large results sets. The service uses relevancy ranking to bring the best content to the top of results. You can use Refine Results to further narrow the results group to the best matches for your search. Refine options are listed on the left side of the results page.

Refine results screen in Health Information @ Himmelfarb

You can refine by date, content type, subject or availability. Under Availability there are filters for open access and peer reviewed content.

Conversely, you can widen your search to include items outside of Himmelfarb’s collections by using the Expand My Results option at the top of Refine Results.

Expand My Results screen in Health Information @ Himmelfarb

The Search Box Can Fetch!

Want to quickly retrieve an item with just one or a few pieces of information?  Use the Find Item Citation Linker. Select Find Item from the top menu, select your item type (Article, Book or Journal) and input as many pieces of information as you know. If you have a PMID, DOI, or ISBN, that’s all you need.

Find Item Citation Linker screen in Health Information @ Himmelfarb

 Use Shortcuts to Full-text

Records for journal articles in the results list frequently include links to Download PDF or View Issue Contents. 

Download PDF option in brief record screenshot from Health Information @ Himmelfarb

These links use the LibKey service to provide shortcuts directly to full-text or to view the full journal issue in Browzine. To learn about other Browzine features, check our Research Guide. LibKey offers a browser extension called Nomad to get to full text faster in PubMed, CINAHL Complete, and Scopus. See this article for more on how to download and use Nomad.

Search and Request Items from Other Libraries

Use the drop down menu next to the magnifying glass on the search box to change the content from just Himmelfarb resources to content from the Washington Research Library Consortium. This will include content from the other GW libraries.

Change search scope screen in Health Information @ Himmelfarb

Once you find your item, you can request it from another library in the consortium by signing in with your GW User ID.

Sign in prompt on full record screen in Health Information @ Himmelfarb

Then select the Consortium Loan Service Request.

Consortium Loan Service Request link screenshot in Health Information @ Himmelfarb

Your email and the book data should automatically populate the form. Select your pickup library (Himmelfarb or Virginia Science and Technology Campus Library) and indicate if there is a date you no longer need the item after. You will receive an email notice when the item is available for pickup.

Check the Health Information @ Himmelfarb FAQ for more tips and instructions on searching, requesting items, and managing your results.

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When you search Health Information @ Himmelfarb, the library’s search box, you will now be alerted to retracted content in the search results. This service is courtesy of Third Iron’s LibKey which provides the PDF and View Issue Contents buttons in article records. When an article is retracted, the PDF button is replaced with a Retracted Article button as illustrated below.

Screenshot of result with retracted article link on Health Information @ Himmelfarb

Clicking on the Retracted Article button opens a window that displays the retraction details (why the article was retracted) and PDF link if you still want to read or download the article. 

Screenshot of LibKey retraction notice window

Retraction data comes from Retraction Watch, a service of the Center for Scientific Integrity. 

Retraction notices are now available in other Third Iron products. For example, if you use the Browzine app to read e-journals from Himmelfarb, alerts to retracted articles will appear there.  LibKey Nomad can be installed as an extension to your Chrome, Edge, or Firefox browser to provide PDF buttons in databases like PubMed. Nomad will now display Retracted Article buttons in those databases.

Screenshot of Article Retracted button on PubMed

Need help searching for articles or other resources? Contact our reference team at himmelfarb@gwu.edu or through our chat service.

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The Himmelfarb Library search box includes content ranging from books and book chapters, to dissertations, scientific reports, newspaper articles, and journals. If you’re looking for journal literature specifically, there are several methods you can use.

The first method is to use the Articles search scope. This will automatically limit all search retrieval to just article content. To activate this scope, click the down arrow next to the microphone icon to see all the search scope options and select Articles:

Himmelfarb Search box Articles scope screenshot

Articles scope includes articles from a variety of journal, magazine, and newspaper sources.You may need to use further limits, including selecting particular content types or limiting to peer review journals with the Availability filter on the left side of results.

Himmelfarb search box left column filters screenshot

These same limits can be used if you start in the default search scope and later want to limit your retrieval to a particular content type.

If you’re looking for content from a particular journal, use the Journal Search option. You can then search either the journal title or ISSN if you have it and can click through to the journal contents from the retrieved record.

Himmelfarb search box journal search for Lancet screenshot

To get to full-text of a retrieved article, use the Available Online link that appears in brief results or click the Download PDF link if present.

Himmelfarb search box brief results full-text options screenshot

To see all supplier options for getting to full-text, click the article title in brief results to open the full record, then see the View Online area to click through to full-text from a particular supplier.

Himmelfarb search box full record view online options screenshot

If there are no full-text options, use the Documents2Go link under How to Get It to order the article via interlibrary loan.  You can login to Documents2Go with your GW NetID username and password.

Himmelfarb search box full record view Documents2Go link screenshot

A scanned or electronic version of the document will be sent to you. It may take several days to a week to process.

If you need assistance with searching the library search box or other databases, contact reference staff via Himmelfarb Library chat.  For assistance with document delivery services, contact mlbdoc@gwu.edu.

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The Himmelfarb Search box is front and center on the Library’s home page, beckoning users to search here! Have you wondered what it is you’re actually searching when you use the Search Box? Or how you can get the most out of it? Here’s some answers and tips.

Himmelfarb Search Box

What Am I Searching?

The Himmelfarb Search Box is a comprehensive discovery tool for the library’s resources. It includes most of the library’s subscription content (journals and articles and online books) as well as records for the library’s physical collections (print books and journals, equipment, and physical media like DVDs).

But that’s not all. By switching the selection with the down arrow on the right side of the search box, you can change what you’re searching to just article content, just online content, or you can select to search the contents of all the libraries in the Washington Research Library Consortium (WRLC). Select Articles + GW & Consortium Catalog to include books and media at the other WRLC libraries, like Georgetown, American, and Howard.

Himmelfarb Search box search selections

How Do I Improve My Search Results?

The Search Box includes a lot of content.  It uses relevancy ranking, like Google, to try to bring the best search results to the top of the results page. But sometimes it needs a little help and guidance. You can help narrow results to the most relevant by using the Refine Results options on the left side of the search results page.

Refine results in Himmelfarb Search Box

You can narrow the date range of results, look for results using a particular subject heading, or look for things in a particular collection (for example, select CINAHL Complete to narrow to nursing-focused results), or select books or dissertations or Newspaper articles with Content Type.

Other tips for improving results is to use advanced search to search for multiple concepts at once or search a specific field like title or author. Click on Advanced Search next to the Search Box.

Advanced search button in Himmelfarb Search Box
Advanced search in Himmelfarb Search Box

Or use the Journal search option on the top menu if searching for a specific journal title.

Journal search in Himmelfarb Search Box

I Found What I Want, Now How Do I Get It?

In the results view, anything that has a green Available Online link has full-text available by clicking on the link or clicking the title to see the full record and selecting a specific online source in View Online. For many article results, you may also see a Download PDF link that allows you to directly download a PDF. For the most efficient linking to online content, see our Finding Full-Text Content Made Easy! tips.

Full-text linking options in Himmelfarb Search Box

For items like physical books, you can check the status of items on the shelves at Himmelfarb by looking at the How to Get It section of the full record displayed when you click the title in the results. If you can’t physically come into the library to get the item, you can use our courtyard pickup and delivery services. If the book you want is at Gelman or one of the WRLC libraries, click the Sign In option then scroll to the Get It area to find the Consortium Loan Service (CLS) request form; this will request delivery of the item from the owning library to Himmelfarb or the VSTC Library in Ashburn.

Sign in for CLS in full-text record in Himmelfarb Search Box
Links for CLS and Docs2Go in Himmelfarb Search Box

For articles for which there is no Available Online link, you can use the Docs2Go form which is also an option under Get It. A Docs2Go request will order a scan of the item from another library through our interlibrary loan services.

I Can’t Find What I Want, or I Just Need Help - What Do I Do Now?

Use our Ask Us Chat service to get help from a librarian. The Ask Us service is embedded in the Search tool in a blue tab on the right side of the screen. The Chat is staffed Monday through Thursday 8:30am-8pm and Friday 8:30am-5pm.  Or email a librarian or text us at 202-601-3525.

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This Monday, July 26, 2021, marked the 31st anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. This landmark legislation literally and figuratively opened the doors for millions of Americans with disabilities to equal access to jobs, education, transportation, and recreation. While we are often reminded of physical access in the form of providing ramps for wheelchairs, accessible seating in theaters, provisions for service animals in stores and public transportation, and interpreters for the hearing impaired, just as important are accessibility initiatives in the online world. 

GW has a Digital Accessibility policy and trainings to enable those who provide web services and other online resources to ensure that content is accessible and usable to everyone in the University community. These policies are centered around WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) standards; among them are making color contrast strong enough to be perceived, ensuring that fonts are of sufficient size and readability, providing alt-text for images, and providing for assistive technologies that allow navigation of a website by voice. 

Recently the library’s search service, Health Information @ Himmelfarb, began providing a voice search component. Use the microphone icon next to the search bar to enable voice search.

Himmelfarb Library is committed to providing accessible resources keeping POUR (Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, Robust) in mind. If you have questions or comments about accessibility and Himmelfarb Library, contact us at himmelfarb@gwu.edu.

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Reflecting GW’s return to campus and our physical facilities, the default search scope on Himmelfarb Library’s search box is changing. Instead of Online Access only, the default search setting will now include Himmelfarb Library’s physical collections.  Search results will include print books, print journals, physical multimedia like DVDs, and equipment for loan, as well as electronic materials.

If you prefer to continue to search only online collections, you can opt to change the scope to Online Access by clicking the down arrow to the right and then selecting Online Access.

Other available search scopes are Articles only, the Himmelfarb Catalog (does not include articles), or Articles + GW & Consortium Catalog.  The last option includes materials from all of the Washington Research Library Consortium members and all of GW’s libraries. Physical materials from these libraries can be borrowed via the Consortium Loan Service. Sign into Health Information @ Himmelfarb to see Consortium Loan Service requesting options.

If you cannot come physically into Himmelfarb Library there are still pickup and shipping options available.  Visit our Courtyard Request and Shipping Request services pages for details.

Need assistance with searching Health Information @ Himmelfarb? Contact our Information Desk staff at (202) 994-2850, himmelfarb@gwu.edu or Chat Us!

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Network maintenance activities planned for this Saturday, April 3rd, 6-8am ET may cause brief disruptions in access to library electronic resources. 

Further web services maintenance also planned for Saturday the 3rd, 10 to 11am ET may  impact user’s ability to sign into Health Information @ Himmelfarb, the library’s catalog.  Searching and linking to full-text should not be affected, but users may not be able to sign in for Consortium Loan Services requesting and library account services during a short window. 

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. Please contact us through our chat services or email himmelfarb@gwu.edu with any questions or concerns.

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Attention School of Nursing students, staff, and faculty who primarily use the library at the Virginia Science and Technology Campus! You can now direct your Consortium Loan Service (CLS) delivery to the VSTC library on the CLS request form. Here’s how:

  1. Find the item you want to borrow from another Washington Research Library Consortium library by searching Health Information @ Himmelfarb using the Articles + GW & Consortium Catalog view.

2. Click the title in results to open the record and sign in with your NetID under How to Get It to see request options.

3. Select Consortium Loan Service Request.

4. On the CLS Request form, use the down arrow to change the Pickup Library from Himmelfarb to GW Virginia Science and Technology Campus Library Delivery.

That’s it!  Note that a pick up time must be scheduled with VSTC library staff when your item arrives. Check to be sure you are eligible to schedule pick up from the VSTC Library before designating delivery there.

If you have any questions about Consortium Loan or other document delivery services at Himmelfarb Library, contact mlbdoc@gwu.edu or call 202-994-2860 during business hours.

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Frequently used public health titles that are part of Himmelfarb Library’s reserves collections are now available for browsing or searching in a new Public Health Reserves Collection.  The collection includes books and some CDs. 

Physical items in the collection are shelved in Himmelfarb’s first floor reserves area and can be requested at the Circulation Desk. Reserve materials are now circulating for a one week period with no renewals. Users who don’t currently have physical access to Himmelfarb Library can arrange for Courtyard pickup and returns service. If there are electronic versions available, they are included in the collection with links to full-text.

Titles are sorted alphabetically by default. Users can use the Search Inside the Collection feature at the top of the page to search for a specific title or topic within the list.

The Public Health Reserves Collection is part of the Special Collections Gallery in Health Information @ Himmelfarb. Many of our public health focused Research Guides now include a link to the collection.

Also new to Special Collections is a collection of Himmelfarb Library’s Core Titles which includes public health resources.

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Himmelfarb Library is allowing most books in the reserves collection to check out for a week. Reserves books are located behind the Circulation Desk and most titles directly support classroom learning and board study. In addition, some materials that were previously on reserves have been moved to the basement level stacks and now checkout for three weeks and are eligible for up to two renewals.

You can check the location of physical materials in Health Information @ Himmelfarb search tool. Change the default search from Online Access to Himmelfarb Catalog as shown below.  

Materials supporting the first and second year MD program are available in a collection that can be browsed and searched. 

When you’ve located a title you want to borrow, click the title to open the full record and then check under Locations to see where copies are located and if they’re currently available to check out. Courtyard pickup services are available to Himmelfarb patrons that do not currently have access to the physical library.

By signing in, you’ll see the option to request Courtyard pickup services as shown below.

Faculty are encouraged to make as many materials available to students in electronic form as possible. See more information on Himmelfarb’s reserves services for faculty or contact mlbrsv@gwu.edu for assistance.

 

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