Welcome To MINERVA!

Minerva is the University Libraries' Web-based catalog - your guide to materials owned or provided by the University at Albany libraries.

To access Minerva:
Select "Minerva" on the Libraries' homepage: http://library.albany.edu/ or go directly to http://minerva.albany.edu/

Basic Search
Advanced Search
Finding Your Search Results
Saving Your Search Results
Other Options

Basic Search

Search using keywords, title, author, call number, or any of the options listed in Search Type.
Be sure to match the Search Type with the Search Words you choose. Be as specific as possible – for example if you know the author’s name, enter it (last name first) and select the correct Search Type.
If you know you are looking for materials from a specific library or collection or in a specific format, use the drop down menu (Step 3) or the tabs above to narrow your search.

The full catalog will only indicate which journals we own. If you need to search for specific journal articles, use the Journal Articles tab for assistance, or go to the Databases link.
See Advanced Search for more options and to perform combination searches.

Advanced Search

To select advanced search, click the Advanced Search link at the top of the Minerva page.

Connectors or Boolean Operators (Step 3): See “Hints” at the bottom of the Advanced Search page for instructions on how to use Boolean Operators.

Options (Step 4) to limit search by language, year, format or location.

Refining Searches

Once a search is performed in Minerva, you can add terms or filter your search from the Brief Record screen.

Adding Search Terms

This feature is used to modify the results by adding terms to the original search.

If your search results are too broad or too narrow, you can modify your original search by using the Boolean operators and, or, or not along with additional search terms to retrieve additional results, or to narrow the search.

In this example, the search results for the title/subject: Botany is being narrowed by using the Boolean Operator and to add the term North America.

Note that the title/subject field has been selected from the "Field to Search" drop down menu.

Filtering

The Filter option allows you to set limits on your search without entering additional search terms.

Minerva allows you to either enter your own filter options or use a set of predefined options. Information about the various options and instructions for their use can be found within the Filtering Options pages. You can access the filter function from the brief record screen by clicking on the word "filter" at the top of the screen as shown in the diagram above.

Finding Your Search Results

Once you have a list of search results to review you can select View Full Record to see more details as well as a summary of the item.

To locate the item you've selected you need to find out where it is! From either the list of your search results or from the Full Record you can get location information.

Click on the call number (location) for the holdings information. This will tell you which library contains the material and whether it is on the shelf, on reserve or checked out (see diagram below).
Write down (or print out) the complete call number as well as title/author. This is the information you will need to locate the book on the shelves.
If the book is not on the shelf it may be on reserve, or checked out. You still have options! Please visit the Reference Desk to learn about your options to retrieve the item.

Minerva results screenshot

Saving Your Search Results

E-Mail

You can e-mail records you've found that you want to reference later.

To select individual records, click box at the top left corner of each record.
Click "Save/Mail" and follow the directions to email the selected records to yourself, or others.
Select all records by clicking on "Select All" in the menu above the results list.

My List

You can save items permanently by adding them to your My List.

First log-in to My Minerva, and then use the “Add to My List” link at the top of the Search Results page.
You MUST sign-in to ‘My Minerva’ in order to save your records for future access.
Access your list by selecting “My List”

Other Options

UA Delivery / Interlibrary Loan

The ILLiad software is used by the University Libraries for both Interlibrary Loan and UA Delivery Services.
UA Delivery provides document delivery services between the University's three libraries.
InterLibrary Loan provides resources through the University Libraries' participation in a number of resource sharing agreements.These agreements provide access to article delivery and short term loans on a wide variety of materials.
You may ask that materials be sent from one library to another, or directly to you electronically (for articles).
For more information on UA Delivery visit http://library.albany.edu/about/delivery.html
For more information on InterLibrary loan visit http://library.albany.edu/ill/

My Minerva Account

Once you have entered your MyUAlbany NetID and Unix cluster password, you are able to see your patron information, see what you have checked out, place holds and recalls on materials (coming soon!), and see your e-Shelf. For more information, or if you have forgotten your Unix cluster password, go to http://library.albany.edu/about/netid.html.

Accessing Electronic Journals

Journals with electronic access may be accessed using one (or both) of the following:

'Find It' is a service that attempts to make links to the full-text of an item. It is used primarily with journals and magazines, and their articles. Click on the 'Find It' icon for access.
Some journals with electronic access also list a traditional URL in the Full View of the record - click directly on this URL for access.

Minerva offers many options beyond those outlined on this Web site. We encourage you to explore them when you are doing your searches. Context-specific Help screens are available throughout Minerva. Please contact a Reference Librarian (Phone: 442-3553 or use the Ask a Librarian) form if you need more in-depth assistance.

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