Save or send your search results

Save records to your eShelf / Send records by email

Once you have completed a search, you may decide to save some of the records and return to your research later. If you are working on a lengthy research project over time -- such as a thesis or dissertation -- it might be helpful to store your bibliographic information and organize it into named folders or files. You can do this type of thing in MetaLib.

On the Table View list of search results, you will see an icon on the right side of the display that looks like a tiny shopping cart. To select a record, click on this icon.

You can also save a certain record after you have opened it. Click on the title of any item to see its full bibliographic information. In the top right corner of the record, you will see several little icons, including the shopping cart. When you click on the shopping cart, a tiny arrow will appear on it, indicating that the record has been saved.

Where do these records go once you have saved them? Choose My Space, from the menu near the top of the screen.

It will take you to the page headed eShelf -- this is where your saved records are held for you. Every time you log in, this information will be available, until you decide to delete it.

As you add more and more records, however, your eShelf list will get longer and longer. You can organize this information into manageable files or folders that you create. On the eShelf screen, notice the link on the far right edge of the display -- the word Advanced.

Click on the word Advanced. You now see a two-part screen : on the left side is a workspace for constucting folders, and on the right side is the "basket" containing the records you have saved. Click on the tiny folder icon to create a new folder.

A dialog box will open, asking you to name this new folder. Give it a name that will help you remember what you've stored in it, such as DivorceParenting. As soon as you click on Save, your new folder will be created, and you will see it in the Folder drop-down menu. Then, look at the items in your basket on the right side of the screen. Select the ones you want to add to your new folder, by clicking in the small square box beside each one. A green check mark will appear in each box. When you have selected the records you want, click on the blue triangular arrow in the center of the screen.

The records you chose will be copied into your DivorceParenting folder, and you will have access to them every time you enter the eShelf.

You can send records in your eShelf to yourself (or to someone else) by email. Just select the ones you want by clicking a green check mark into the little box beside each record. Then, click on the word Selected. The Selected Records box will open. Click on Send. When the Send box opens, type in your email adress, and click on Send. Any full-text links in the record will be included in your email.

You can delete the Basket by clicking on the little trash-can icon. Also, you can delete any folder you no longer want by selecting it and clicking on the little trash can.

Send records by email

When you are reading a bib record that interests you, there is the option of sending that record to yourself by email. Look for the little envelope icon on the upper right side of the bibliographic record. If you click on the envelope, a dialog box will open, asking you to provide a subject line and an email address for the recipient (yourself or someone else). When you have done this, click on Send.

The email message will be sent immediately to the address you provided. If the bib record contained an active full-text link, the recipient will be able to open the full-text article from the email message. This can be a convenient way for you to send full text, then print it or save it on your own machine.

You can also email any records saved in your eShelf. Follow the instructions about eShelf, above on this page.