WebBridge

The Reader

Spring 2005 Page 4

WebBridge - Link from LOIS to Database Articles and More

LOIS, your friendly neighborhood library catalog, has undergone a surprising transformation. Do a search in LOIS for an author, title, or keyword or your choice. Note the new, blue button near the top of the results screen:

Follow WebBridge and you will be connected to a wealth of resources on the same topic as your original search, including articles from SCC library databases such as InfoTrac and ProQuest, books in local libraries, online bookstores, internet sites, and even book reviews in some instances.

Using the WebBridge link in LOIS saves you time. Without re-keying your search, you'll connect directly to periodical articles on the same or related topics and to books by the same author or on the same topic in the public library or at Sac State or UC Davis.

Be aware, though, that while WebBridge connects to you many, it does not show you all of the related articles available through the SCC library databases. WebBridge transmits the search terms you typed in LOIS to the databases, nothing more, nothing less. If you wish to restate or refine your search, or if your goal is painstaking thoroughness, you may prefer to go directly to the database of your choice and begin there.

In addition, WebBridge connects to a subset of the SCC databases rather than to the complete set (which might produce a completely overwhelming number of results). Again, access the databases directly to choose one that WebBridge doesn't cover.

WebBridge help screens tell you more and provide some illuminating examples.