Discovery & Access: Tools from Third Iron: LibKey Nomad

What is LibKey Nomad?

LibKey Nomad is a browser extension that makes off-campus searching easier. While searching, you can quickly see which articles are available to you through UWW Libraries. LibKey Nomad works on publisher websites, PubMed, and even Wikipedia to connect you to scholarly resources. If UWW does not have the full text, LibKey Nomad will link you to RESEARCH@UWW where you can make an InterLibrary Loan request.

LibKey Nomad connects you to resources while preserving your privacy. No personal account is needed, and LibKey Nomad does not track users or store your ID after you close your browser. When you click on a LibKey Nomad link, it will take you to UWW's Net-ID login and then straight on to the full-text article. After you login once, you won't have to login again until you close your browser.

You may wonder how LibKey determines which article to present, when the library may have multiple sources.  We did too!  So we asked, and LibKey uses a waterfall selection model to determine the source used.

1. Always link to Open Access Version of Record first if the article is available OA.
2. Then it looks at subscriptions with a publisher.
3. Finally, it will use our aggregator subscriptions.

You can get started with LibKey Nomad in three easy steps:

1. Install the LibKey Nomad extension and click on "Get LibKey Nomad Now" for your preferred browser.

   Note for Chrome Users: If you are using a university-owned computer and have synced your Chrome profile with your UWW account, you will need to Sign out or Pause your Chrome synching in order to get to the Google Chrome store and install the LibKey Nomad extension. Once you have downloaded the extension and approved it, then you can sign in again to your Chrome profile or un-pause your synch.

2. Search for University of Wisconsin-Whitewater from the list of institutions.

   * The LibKey Nomad icon will appear in the top right of your browser window

3. Start your search

   * When you are on a page where you can download an article, the LibKey Nomad button will appear in the bottom left of your browser

Watch the video below to learn more and see how to install LibKey Nomad on your computer.

Still have questions?

Check out the Nomad Technical FAQ, watch the tutorial from ThirdIron, or reach out to your Librarian Liaison.