Make your own QuickSets
It's possible to customize MetaLib to suit your own personal research habits -- that is one of its most interesting features. For example, you might search our Morton Library catalog and one or two of the periodical databases very frequently. You can create your own QuickSet containing these resources that will appear on the initial search screen. Then, you can select that set with one click, and search all of your chosen resources at once.
First, login with your personal ID, so the choices you make will be saved for you. If you need help logging in, see How to connect to MetaLib online.
Once you have logged in, choose My Space from the menu near the top of the screen.
Once the My Space page opens, choose My Databases. This page consists of a workspace for constructing QuickSets, and a "clipboard" for the display of the resources you will choose. Click on the tiny folder icon to create a new set.
A dialog box will open, in which you can enter a name for your new set (necessary), and a description of it (optional). As soon as you click Save, your new set will be created, and you will see its name in the Select set drop-down menu. Now, you can begin choosing resources to add to your set. To do this, choose Find database from the menu near the top of the screen.
You can search for the specific resource you want by typing its name into the search box. It's often easier, however, just to use the alphabet links to choose what you want from a list. For example, clicking on the letter M will led you quickly to the Morton Library Catalog. Take a look at the little symbols on the right side of the display.
One of them looks like the letter i in a circle; it leads you to a box defining the scope and coverage of the resource, just for your information. The symbol resembling a little magnifying glass takes you directly to a search window, in case you want to use that resource right now to look something up. The symbol in the middle -- a plus sign inside a circle -- is the one that selects this resource and adds it to your clipboard. To select Morton Library Catalog, click on that symbol.
As soon as you click on it, a tiny arrow will appear on the symbol, letting you know that you have selected that resource. Now, go back to My Space, and then My Databases.
When you look at the clipboard area now, you will see that the resource you chose has appeared there.
There is a small arrow inside a circle, on the right edge of the clipboard display. If you click on that arrow, the resource will be added to your QuickSet.
Repeat the Find database process as often as you wish, in order to add the things you want to your personal QuickSet. The little icons allow you to edit your QuickSet, save it under another name, or delete it.
When your QuickSet is complete, just go back to the original search screen (you can get there by choosing QuickSearch from the menu near the top of the screen).
Now, you will see that your own customized set is prominently displayed and highlighted in the QuickSet area below the search box. Your set will also appear when you do an Advanced Search or a Power Search.
Although this sounds like a complicated process, we think you will actually find it quite easy. Work your way through these instructions just once, and it will become clear to you how it works.
Creating Categories
It is not possible for patrons to construct their own Categories, as they appear in the Power Search option. These are put together by staff using management utilities in the MetaLib program. We are selecting databases and composing categories we think people will want to use. But we are very much interested in your suggestions or requests, and will consider composing custom categories to meet the needs of our patrons. Please contact Paula Skreslet, our Reference Librarian, if there are Categories you would like to see created and made available to you.
