SFX by Ex Libris
Have you found an article in a database but it is not full-text and you are wondering if any of the other databases the library’s subscribes to might have it full-text? SFX will aid you by searching the other databases and presenting you with a SFX menu with a link to the full text of the article if it is available, or a link to an interlibrary loan form if it is not.
Frequently Asked Questions about SFX
What
exactly is SFX?
SFX is a linking
technology that enables a user to determine whether Jacobs Library owns (or
can provide access to) a desired article for which the user has a citation.
When the desired item is available in electronic form, SFX can facilitate
direct linking. When the library does not have the item in electronic form,
SFX can create an interlibrary loan form that can be used to request the
article.
Who
can use SFX?
Currently registered IVCC
students, faculty and staff are able to use SFX from both on campus and off
campus.
How
do I access SFX?
·
When you are searching a
library database, look for the SFX button 
.
·
The location of this button
varies depending on the database being searched. Sometimes it appears at
the brief record level; other times you need to click on the detailed record
in order to see it.
·
Clicking on the button opens
up a SFX menu that displays a list of available full-text sources for the
item.
Why do I fail to see the SFX menu in SFX-enabled
resources?
Software such as Pop-up
Zapper and Pop-up Stopper (both of which turn off pop-up ads) turns off SFX
as well, since SFX uses a pop-up window. If you have such software
installed on your computer, you will need to turn it off in order to see the
SFX menu.
Why
doesn’t full text always appear as an option?
The lack of full text
usually means that the IVCC library does not subscribe to any database that
carries the article you need in full text. The option will be available to
request the article through interlibrary loan.
When
full text is available, why don’t I always go to the article?
SFX takes you as close as
it can to the actual article. In many cases the link will be to the actual
article. Some databases, such as LexisNexis, do not allow article level
linking. If LexisNexis has the article full text, there will be a link to
LexisNexis. From the LexisNexis search screen you will need to enter the
article title, correct the “Date Range” option, and click the “Search”
button to find the article.
What
other options are available through SFX?
If the article you are
seeking is not available through any of IVCC’s databases, a link to the
interlibrary loan request form will display. Clicking this link will bring
up the interlibrary loan form with fields filled in based on the citation
you chose. The “submit” button on the bottom of the form will send this
form to the IVCC library. The interlibrary loan staff will request a copy
of the article for you and notify you when it is received.