Library Guide to

MERLIN Library Catalog
(Web Interface)

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Database Description

The MERLIN (Missouri Education and Research Libraries Information Network) Library Catalog provides access to the library collections at the University of Missouri at Kansas City, Columbia, St. Louis and Rolla. Information about sound recordings, music scores, microforms, print, and nonprint materials can be found in the catalog.

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How to Connect

Choose "MERLIN Catalog" from the University Libraries' home page: http://library.umkc.edu/.

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How to Search

Choose Your Library

• Select "University of Missouri-Kansas City Libraries" to search UMKC's Miller Nichols, Health Sciences, Dental and Law Libraries. Or . . . .
  
  
• Select one of the other libraries of the University of Missouri system, or select all of the MERLIN library collections simultaneously. Or . . . .
  
  
• Select "Mobius Union Catalog" (A consortium of academic libraries throughout Missouri); "Missouri Institute of Mental Health in St. Louis"; "Washington University in St. Louis" or "Center for Research Libraries" from the Other Library Catalogs listing at the bottom of the page.

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Search Options

Keywords	Words next to each other are searched as a phrase. Use "and" to look for words without indicating order. Type significant words from the title, subject, series, conference or organization name and press Enter. Example: old and man and sea
Subjects (Library of Congress)	Type the subject heading and press Enter. Example: korean war
Medical Subjects (MeSH)	Type the medical subject heading and press Enter. This search is used primarily for items at the Health Sciences and Dental Libraries. Example: neoplasms
Exact Title	Type the exact title, or as much of the title as you know, and press Enter. Example: adventures of huckleberry finn
Author	Type the author's last name first, then the first name or initial, and press Enter. This search includes conferences and organizations. Example: sagan c or university of missouri kansas city
Author/Title	Type the author's last name first, then the first name or initial, and press Enter. Then type in a word from the title and press Enter again. Example: faulkner william then fury
Tables of Contents & Notes	Type significant words from contents, collections, anthologies or selections from recordings and press Enter. Example: ghost and secret
Journal, Magazine, & Newspaper Titles	Type in the exact title of a periodical or newspaper and press Enter. Example: new york times or journal of adolescent research
Display Reserve Lists	To search by professor or teaching assistant's name, choose Retrieve by Professor, then type the last name of the professor and press Enter. To search by course number, choose Retrieve by Course, type "UMKC," then the course number and press Enter. Example: UMKC CONS 593. If you cannot remember the course number, just type "UMKC," and a list of UMKC courses with library reserves for the current semester will be displayed.
Additional Options - Number Searches	In the list of Additional Options, select a search by call number, Government Document Number, ISBN, ISSN, Music or OCLC numbers. Select the menu option for the appropriate number search.

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How to Understand Your Results

To Read a List of Titles or Subjects

The first 12 subject headings or titles will be listed on a screen that has five columns. (Keyword searches have only the first four columns.)

• The first column is the number of the entry (1-12 listed first).
• The second column allows you to mark the box for further printing, downloading or emailing (see below).
• The third column gives you a link to the title or subject and, if it is a title, lists what libraries hold the book.
• The fourth column gives you the publication year of the title. To see complete information about the title, or to see additional titles under a subject, click on the subject or title link.
• The fifth column lists the total number of items found for that row, except in keyword searches.

To Locate the Item

If the item is held by the library, a box on the screen for the item shows you location, call number and status of the book. If you are searching University of Missouri-Kansas City Libraries, the item can be at one of four locations at UMKC:

• UMK MNL is Miller Nichols Library at 800 East 51st Street.
• UMK HSL is the Health Sciences Library at 2411 Holmes, 2nd floor of Medical School.
• UMK Dental is the Dental Library at 650 East 25th Street, 3rd floor of the School of Dentistry.
• UMK Law is the Law Library at 500 East 52nd Street in the Law School.

If you are searching all the MERLIN library catalogs, and the item you want is not held at UMKC, click on the Request Item link at the top of the page to request the item from another MERLIN location. Fill out the form and submit your request.

If no MERLIN library has the item:

• Search MOBIUS (Academic libraries throughout Missouri). Click "Request this Item" to fill out an online request form. (Institution affiliation is "MERLIN.")
• If items are not in MERLIN or MOBIUS, you may request the item from another library by filling out an online Interlibrary Loan form at https://library.umkc.edu/forms/ill.htm.

To Change Your Search

At the top of every screen after you have put in a request, you will see a box that tells you

• your type of search (keyword, exact title, etc.)
• your search term
• the library you searched.

You can change your search by

• typing in a new search term and/or
• clicking on the pull-down arrows to choose a different type of search and/or library.

You also can limit your search.

• For author, title and subject searches, choose limit/sort at the top of the screen. You can limit by:

Year	Language	Location	Material type
Publisher	Book or journal	Words in author	Words in title
Genre/form	Words in subject	Words in MESH subject	Words in table of contents and notes



• For keyword searches, choose "modify search" to return to the Keyword Search screen where the Advanced Search allows the following options:

Language	Material format	Publisher name	Year of publication
Sort Options	Library location	Genre/form

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Emailing, Exporting, and Printing

Click the box next to the title when you are in a list of titles or subjects.

• Save records from a title list or from the record for an individual item.
  • From a title list, click on the box next to the title, and then click "Save Marked Records." (Remember to click "Save Marked Records"on each page of records you are marking before marking additional records on the next pages).
  • From the record for an individual title, click "Export Record" at the top or bottom of the screen.
• When you are finished marking all records, click "Export Saved List" at the top or bottom of your screen.
• Make Send List To choice: email, screen (to print), or local disk.
• Under Format of List, choose "Full Display" if you want to include the call number. Choose "Pro-Cite" or "End-Note" if you have this software.
• Click "Submit."
• If you have emailed or sent to local disk, you will receive a message confirming receipt.
• If you are printing, use the print function on theWeb browser.

If you have any questions about searching the MERLIN Library Catalog on the web, please ask a Reference Librarian in the Information Commons, by telephone at (816) 235-1534 or by email.

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Miller Nichols Library Hours

Current hours for the Miller Nichols Library.

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For further assistance, please contact the
Miller Nichols Library Reference Desk at (816) 235-1534.

Guide compiled by Laura Gayle Green