5/3/2021
How do I prepare for Melvyl’s Retirement?
UC Library Search will replace Melvyl and your local catalog on July 27, 2021. What do I need to do to prepare for this change?
How will we learn how to use UC Library Search?
UC Library Search is user-friendly but your librarians will make training materials available after July 27, 2021. You can also contact your local subject or teaching librarian to inquire about teaching an orientation to UC Library Search during your class time.
What will happen to my library account? Do I need to do anything? Do I need to turn books back in?
No. Melvyl accounts will become UC Library Search accounts. You do not need to take any action, unless you have saved lists, saved searches, or bookmarks to Melvyl records.
I have personal saved lists saved in Melvyl. What should I do to keep them?
Melvyl saved lists will not be moved to UC Library Search. Before July 27, log in to Melvyl by clicking “Sign In.” Enter your username and password. Click on your account name, and select “My Personal Lists” from the drop-down menu. From there you can access your saved lists. You can email your lists to yourself, or you can click on the “Cite” button and export them into citation management software. Check your library’s web page for information about citation management software or for the link to 24/7 chat reference assistance.
What do I do with my saved searches?
Melvyl saved searches will not be moved to UC Library Search. Before July 27, log in to Melvyl by clicking “Sign In.” Enter your username and password. Click on the “Saved Searches” link in the gray menu bar. Before July 27 you should make a note of your search terms if you wish to reproduce them in UC Library Search.
What do I do about links or bookmarks to Melvyl records?
Melvyl links will not redirect to UC Library Search. If you have links to Melvyl records, either in your browser bookmarks, Learning Management System, or elsewhere, you can log in to Melvyl and save them to a list, which you can then email to yourself or export into citation management software.
4/20/2021
UC Library Search: One University, One Library, One Discovery Tool
As one of the largest public university systems in the world, the University of California holds a vast collection of resources in its libraries. However, until now, each campus library used its own catalog, making it difficult for patrons to find items held at other campuses without using a separate search tool.
Beginning July 27, 2021, UC Library Search will bring all UC campus libraries together into the same system. UC Library Search will allow you to find resources from any campus quickly and simply, saving you time and effort. Additionally, you will be able to pick up UC Library materials from any campus, giving you the option to check out materials from the UC library closest to you. As an added bonus, UC Library Search will also enable you to find and request materials from outside the UC system using interlibrary loan.
For UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC Riverside, UC Santa Barbara, UC Santa Cruz:
UC Library Search expands the capabilities of your local catalog. The main difference is that you will no longer have to go through a separate system (Melvyl) to find and request items from outside your home campus. You will easily be able to see what you have borrowed, request extensions, and manage your account with a single login; you’ll no longer need to log into your local catalog, Melvyl, and Interlibrary Loan (ILL) separately.
For UC Berkeley, UCLA, UC Merced, UCSF:
UC Library Search will replace your local catalog, and also features up to date tools for customizing your search and filtering your search results, along with improved citation tools. You will easily be able to see what you have borrowed, request extensions, and manage your account with a single login; you’ll no longer need to log into your local catalog, and Melvyl, and Interlibrary Loan (ILL).
Powered by ExLibris Alma/Primo, UC Library Search is the same system currently used by five UC campuses, the SUNY and CSU systems, as well as other consortia that include major research libraries such as Carnegie-Mellon, Northwestern, and the University of Washington. UC Library Search is the next step in the evolution of a unified UC discovery tool, and will enable greater collaboration between campuses in research and collections management.
3/15/2021
Melvyl is retiring, the new UC Library Search will do more!
UC Library Search will replace Melvyl and local campus catalogs as a single, UC-wide library discovery tool on July 27, 2021.
Melvyl debuted in 1981, before most of our current students (and some faculty) were born. Melvyl revolutionized the UC Library system, allowing researchers to find books at other UC campuses through computer terminals on their own campuses.
Behind the scenes however, Melvyl relied on a complex patchwork system that connected multiple catalogs and databases in order to coordinate interlibrary loan(s) and full-text access. As several of these systems approached the end of their life spans, the UC Libraries recognized the technical unsustainability and inherent risks associated with keeping the Melvyl system. So began the project of making UC Library Search a reality.
UC Library Search will vastly improve the user experience of faculty, students, and researchers worldwide who need to access collections across the University of California system. Rather than using Melvyl, which linked separate catalogs from different institutions, all of the University of California libraries will now be part of one unified discovery tool.
Previously, researchers had to search two places to locate library resources: their local campus catalog and Melvyl. Some materials, like course reserves, could not be searched in Melvyl. Other resources, notably those held by other UC campus libraries, couldn’t be found in local catalogs. And yet other resources had to be located in separate databases like HathiTrust.
UC Library Search will maximize the value of the UC collections by making resources much easier to find and borrow thanks to its improved inter-library resource sharing tools and simplified user interface.
As Melvyl approaches retirement, let’s celebrate the 40 years of service it has given to UC Library users and welcome UC Library Search – the discovery tool of our future.
2/16/2021
Finding and borrowing resources from libraries across the UC system is about to get easier!
On July 27, 2021, the libraries on all 10 University of California campuses will be connected through UC Library Search, a unified discovery and borrowing system. UC Library Search features the following enhancements:
- Search your home campus library collection as well as the collections of all 10 UC libraries in the same system;
- Locate the full text of millions of print and online books, journal articles, and other content
- Borrow and renew materials from any library in the UC system without retyping your library card number
The enhanced features of UC Library Search will replace Melvyl as the UC-wide library catalog search tool. As a single, unified system, UC Library Search offers powerful tools to help the UC Libraries make data-informed decisions around collection development and new services for library users.
Stay tuned to find out more information about UC Library Search in the coming months. In the meantime, check out https://libraries.universityofcalifornia.edu/uclibrarysearch for additional information about the project, including the project timeline for this new release.