Alerts
Lean Library uses popup alerts to let you know how you can access online materials. There are several different alerts you may see, the most common of which are:
Sign In Alert
Lean Library will alert you when you reach a web page with content USU has purchased or subscribed to. An alert will appear letting you know you can access the material by signing in. Click the "Get Access" button to be directed to the USU sign in page. Remember, before entering your USU A-Number and password, be sure that your browser is displaying USU's real login page at https://login.usu.edu/cas/ and not a hacker's password-stealing imitation on another web server.
Article Available Elsewhere
Sometimes an e-resource is listed in multiple databases, but the full text is only available in one. You might find the perfect resource for your research in an EBSCO database, but the library subscribes to it through a ProQuest database. This is confusing and could lead you to think you cannot access the article without payment. In situations like this, Lean Library will alert you and give you a link to where the full text is available. Simply click "Access Article" to be directed to the full text!
Open Access Alert
Some e-resources have an open access version and a paid version online. If you reach a web page for an e-resource, and it is available somewhere else for free, Lean Library will let you know. Click "Get Article" to be taken to the open access version of the article you were previously looking at.
Resource Sharing
While the library tries to provide access to a wide range of materials, we unfortunately cannot buy or subscribe to everything. When you find an e-resource that is not available through USU, and is not available as open access, Lean Library will direct you to our resource sharing unit where you can request a copy of the resource from another library. Just click "Order Article" to be linked to the resource sharing login page.
Google Scholar Alert
Usually, if you go to Google Scholar without logging in to USU first it won't let you know when an e-resource is available through USU. Lean Library lets Google Scholar know that you are affiliated with USU and will show which results are available through the library. You will still need to sign in to access the full text, but you can see what is available first. You don't have to click anything for this to happen, Lean Library will do this on its own.
Other Alerts
Lean Library gives the option for the library to place additional alerts on web pages when we think additional information might be useful. The library may put alerts on our own site directing you to common resources, or we might put one on a database if the database is down for maintenance.
