How to get access from my home PC?

UvA students and staff can have worldwide access to the Digital Library from any internet service provider. This is accomplished through the VPN (Virtual Private Network) infrastructure of the UvA.

To establish access you will need the following: an internet connection, your UvAnetID, and the possibility to download and install the VPN software. Downloading and installing the software is a one time action. 

Please note: each time you want to use the Digital Library you need to activate VPN as follows:

• Start button > Programmes > UvA Cisco VPN Client > VPN client.
• Select the VPN connection with UvA and click connect
• Fill in your UvAnetID

As soon as a yellow padlock symbol shows in the bottom right of your screen your VPN connection is activated.

Please note: for some UvA databases, marked with a lemon-shaped icon, a so called Citrix plug in (software) has to be installed. A manual in Dutch is available.

How to find databases by title or type?

• Click the Databases tab.
• Select how you wish to search
  - alphabetically
  - by Title or Any word.
• The i-button brings you to a description of the contents of a specific database.
• Enter the database by clicking on its name

How to find databases by subject?

• Click the Databases tab.
• Choose a subject from the pull down menu Select subject.
• The i-button brings you to a description of the contents of a specific database.
• Enter the database by clicking on its name.

How do I go about searching The Digital Library?

Globally the search process is as follows:

• Click Databases
• Determine the subject area and choose the corresponding subject from the pull down menu Select subjects
• Choose a subcategory (if applicable).
• The i-button brings you to a description of the contents of a specific database.
• Select one or more databases by clicking the checkbox
• Determine search terms and search the databases.
• Locate the search results with UvAlinker.

Not all databases are technically suitable for this simultaneous search action. Some have to be searched separately by clicking on the title.

How to locate e-journals?

• Click the Journals tab.
• Type in one or more words from the title, or click on the first letter of the title.

If you would like to see which e-journals are available on a certain topic:

• Click the Journals tab.
• Click Category.

Now there are 2 options:

1. Global search by discipline. Choose your discipline in category.

2. More specfic search by discipline.

• Click Searches UvA-catalogue
• Choose a main subject area, e.g. 20 Art studies.
• Choose a subject, e.g. 20.30 art history : general.
  The UvA-catalogue shows which e-journals are available.

If you wish to see the journals within the entire main subject area, edit the entry field in the catalogue: instead of sig elektronisch tijdschrift and bcl 20.30 replace the last 2 digits with a question mark: sig elektronisch tijdschrift and bcl 20.?

How to create an alert?

• Be sure you are personally logged in.
• After a successful search click Previous Searches.
• Click the + icon in order to store your search.
• Go to My Library and click My Searches.
• Click the green ! icon to define the search as an alert.
• Assign a title to the alert, enter your e-mail address, indicate how often the alert should run, select the databases in which to run the alert.
• Click Submit.

What is the UvA-Linker?

UvA-Linker is a linking mechanism between different electronic resources.
By clicking the UvA-Linker icon you get access to the UvA-linker screen, which shows the available services for the record in question. It enables you to locate the publication you found in a database.

To locate books you can choose between:

• a search within the UvA Catalogue to see if the book is available in our library.
• a search in the NCC (National Dutch Catalogue) to see if the book is available in another Dutch library.

To locate articles you can choose between:

• a direct link to the complete electronic document.
  (this link is only displayed when the full text is available).
• a search within the UvA Catalogue to see if a paper version  is available in our library
• a search in the NCC (National Dutch Catalogue) to see if a paper version is available in another Dutch library

Please note: when the UvA-Linker searches for a paper version, it checks the journal itself, not the specific volume in which the article is published. Make sure that the specific volume is present.

Is a tutorial available?

Yes, there is a set of demo's that help you search the Digital Library. Click on the link below.

How to save references in my EndNote library?

PLEASE NOTE: The University of Amsterdam will terminate the EndNote license by June 2011. Switch to RefWorks!

• Save the references in My Library, by clicking the + next to each title
• Click on My Library , and then My Titles
• Select the titles and click on Save or send titles
• Choose Save > Citation manager
• The EndNote program is started and asks for the name of the personal library. Choose an existing library.
• If you work with EndNote 8 or an older version, EndNote will ask for an import filter. Select
  RefMan RIS
  from the filters menu and click on Choose
  If you work with EndNote 9 or a newer version, the import starts immediately.

In case you do not yet have a RefMan-RIS-filter, click on the reference below and download this file to your EndNote filters directory.

Export from the Digital Library is also possible to Reference Manager and other personal bibliographic software, if this software includes a RIS-filter.

How to save references in RefWorks?

• Save the references in My Library, by clicking the + next to each title
• Click on My Library, and then My Titles
• Select the titles and click on Save or send titles
• Choose Save > RefWorks 
• RefWorks is started in your browser. After logging in, the titles are imported to Refworks automatically.