Library search tools

25 Beta Research Tools from Libraries Around the World - College Degree.com: "Tools Used at College and University Libraries

Check out this list for academically-minded beta search tools sponsored by universities around the world."

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1. Quick Start: Brigham Young University: This program, used at BYU's Harold B. Lee Library, lets students tailor their search to books, articles, or a combination of the two. Powered by the GoogleScholar Beta, Quick Start points researchers in the right direction from the very beginning.
2. Google Scholar: Google Scholar and Google Advanced Scholar Search are popular beta tools that allow researchers to search academic journals, books, articles and other materials.
3. New Search (BETA) -- Library of Congress: This simple tool lets researchers search just the Library of Congress website, U.S. historical collections, LofC online catalog, prints and photographs online catalog, the THOMAS Legislative Information System, or all 5 at once. It's the first time the library has given its users a chance to search all areas of the site by typing in keywords only once.
4. WorldCat: WorldCat connects libraries all over the world with information on the Internet. Many university libraries like the University of Washington, Trinity College, Wheaton College, the University of Minnesota and the University of Arizona all use WorldCat to enhance student, faculty and personal research abilities. Features like custom-designed search lists, shareable search results and browser plugins have made this beta a success so far.
5. Sustainability of Digital Formats: Planning for Library of Congress Collections: This project aims to redesign and evaluate a new system of describing content with appropriate digital formats, making it easier for users to search through catalogs and databases.
6. Google Book Search Library Project: Google's popular Book Search is now working with libraries to incorporate their card catalogs into Google's beta tool. Users will be able to find copyrighted books as well as books that are out of print.
7. THOMAS: The Library of Congress is developing another search tool, called THOMAS. Researchers seeking legislative materials like the Congressional Record, U.S. treaties and more. Users can search the entire database with only one search box and choose to search by sponsor or topic.
8. LibWorm: This beta helps you "search the biblioblogosphere and beyond." When you want to start your search on the Internet but only want to find library-related material, this tool can help. By pulling information from over 1500 RSS feeds in categories like academic libraries, government libraries, law libraries, podcasts: librarianship, medical libraries and more.