Last week, we showed you the incredible new interlibrary loan system we’re rolling out. But that isn’t the only change we’re implementing this summer. Now, looking for any library resource will be a lot easier. We’re debuting the EBSCO Discovery Service (EDS) – a type of meta-search engine that looks through every library database at once.

EBSCO is the maker of about a third of our databases, including ones you’ve probably used like Academic Search Premier, Business Source Complete, and CINAHL. The format and layout of the new EDS tool matches those databases, so if you’ve used one, you already know what you’re doing. And we’ve placed it prominently, so it’s easy to find. There’s a search box right on our homepage, which looks like this:

One intuitive search blank, ready to help you discover the world of information we have available. This streamlined service will allow you to search everything IU East owns or subscribes to at once – including journal articles, e-books, print books, videos, dissertations, primary sources, and more. No more going from one database to the next, from JSTOR to ProQuest to Opposing Viewpoints to IUCAT, and typing in the same searches again and again. No more learning the eccentricities of syntax, or how to find citations, or where to limit to full text or peer review, for a hundred different products. No more remembering which databases are good for science and which ones are good for literature. No more missing out on good stuff because it’s in an obscure database you’ve never heard of. All you need to know is how to search with EDS. And then, you’re good to go. All of the normal EBSCO offerings – limiting by date, type of document, full text, and more; automatic citations; direct record and search linking; easy connections to interlibrary loan for items we don’t have – all are available and uniform.

Of course, if you only want to use one specific database, you still can. All of our resources are listed on the A-Z page, and will continue to work just like they always have. So if you just really love the format of a particular database, you can still enjoy it. But now, you’re not locked into doing that any more. Now, with EDS, your library research can truly be one-stop searching.

Any questions about doing research at IU East, or this great new resource? Ask us at iueref@iue.edu!