Many library managers want to offer their students and teachers the option to search for information beyond their library catalogue. There are numerous third party services; some are free websites, some require a subscription fee, some have authentication requirements, and some allow you to easily pass in search parameters while other don't. Called Searchable Websites you can set up and configure your OPAC results page to list these, offering your students and teachers the possibility to quickly search for additional resources to support their research.


Note: Access to and search options for each searchable website is controlled by the third party service. Not all third party services behave in the same way and not all are well managed and maintained. If you choose to set up these services you will have to check with the service to determine any limits that may apply, and you should periodically check that each search behaves as expected.


Options For Adding Searchable Website


There are two options for adding searchable websites:

  1. Choose a searchable website from the built-in library of sites.
  2. Create your own searchable website. Note: You may require a current subscription to the website to do this.


There are different options used by subscription services to control access to their information. Some subscription services:

  • do not require students to supply a username and password to access the service,
  • do require students to supply the username and password each time they want to access the service, and
  • provide automatic seamless access by allowing you to configure the URL to the service with a username and password.


Note: Check with each subscription service to learn about their requirements.


Go to: Configure > Integrations > Searchable Websites


Add A Searchable Website From The Built-in Library

  1. Current searchable websites will be listed. Note: Click the URL to test the link.
  2. Clickto add a new website.
  3. Review the list of Integration Examples:
    1. Click on any listed site to read an overview of the site.
    2. the website for further information.
    3. to choose the website for your OPAC.
  4. Edit Name to suit. Note: Short concise name present better to students on the OPAC results page.
  5. Adjust Search URL if applicable. Note: The search URL may need to be adjusted if you have special access rights.
  6. Record your school's Username if required for access.
  7. Record your school's Password if required for access.
  8. Record Info to inform the patron about this service. Note: Use this field to share the username and password with the patron.

  9. Choose which patrons will be able to access this website from OPAC:

    1. To set OPAC Visibility byclick each Academic Level in the Available selection list to move it to the Selected list. Note: Clickto move all displayed levels.
    2. To set OPAC Visibility byclick each Library Group in the Available selection list to move it to the Selected list.
    3. .
  10. Arrangethe order of the searchable websites according to your preference.
  11. Click the URL to test the link.


Add Your Own Searchable Websites

  1. Current searchable websites will be listed. Note: Click the URL to test the link.
  2. Clickto add a new website.
  3. Record descriptive Name to suit.
  4. Record the Search URL. Note: The search URL may need to be adjusted if you have special access rights.
  5. Record your school's Username if applicable.
  6. Record your school's Password if applicable.
  7. Record Info to inform the patron about this service. Note: Use this field to share the username and password with the patron.

  8. Choose which patrons will be able to access this website from OPAC:

    1. To set OPAC Visibility byclick each Academic Level in the Available selection list to move it to the Selected list. Note: Clickto move all displayed levels.
    2. To set OPAC Visibility byclick each Library Group in the Available selection list to move it to the Selected list.
    3. .
  9. Arrangethe order of the searchable websites according to your preference.
  10. Click the URL to test the link.