For New Arrivals: Getting Started with Your Library
Let's face it, navigating the universe of scientific information is complicated. Your Libraries are here to help you. This checklist will help get you set up and ready to do literature research in chemistry. If you're an experienced chemist just new to UT, this list will help you figure out where everything is and jump-start your research.
(New graduate students should also see the Libraries For Graduate Students page. If you're a new undergraduate, check out the For Undergraduates orientation page.)
Obtain your
UT EID
- You will need your EID and password to conduct your online library business, log into library workstations, and access information resources from off campus.
Be safe and secure:
- Make sure that you choose a strong password, which is required for login to library workstations and most other things.
- NEVER share your EID and password with anyone else!
- NEVER provide your password to a spammer or phisher who asks for it!
- Attention new postdocs: UT-EIDs assigned to incoming postdocs and official visitors may not have the correct privileges to allow you to access library resources remotely (off campus) or to enter the SciFinder registration pages. This is a function of your appointment and is not handled by the Libraries. Consult with your department and the ID Center if you have problems.
Organize your E-mail identity.
- Set up any necessary UT email accounts, and make sure all your new mail is forwarded from accounts you will not use much to the account you will use most.
- Migrate your old email from past accounts into a new one if desired.
- Log into UTDirect and make sure your preferred email address is entered. This is the address to which official University communications - including mail from the Libraries - will be sent. You are solely responsible for making sure official communications reach you.
- Make sure mail from lib.utexas.edu is not automatically marked as junk. This is where automated Library overdue reminders and recall notices will come from. Failure to receive notices does not excuse borrowers from circulation policies or penalties.
Set up your computer.
- Obtain BevoWare software to get UT-compliant security, media viewers, browsers, email clients, virus protection, etc. Bevoware is free to students and faculty.
- Make sure you have a good anti-virus system and that it's always up to date.
- Remember that UT offers special pricing and licensing options for many commercial software products.
- Mac users: Not all relevant software is available for Macs, but you can run Windows on a Mac too. See MacWindows.com for a survey of options.
- Get familiar with our wireless connections if you'll be using a laptop.
Install a good Web browser:
- Firefox is probably the best all-purpose browser. It's widely compatible with third-party tools and has lots of cool add-ons for extra functionality. Google's Chrome browser is not yet widely supported by many key sites, such as SciFinder.
- Make sure you have the latest Java and JRE versions installed. These are often needed for chemical structure viewing and drawing, and are essential for SciFinder and Reaxys.
- Configure your browser to open and read PDF documents as desired. Install the latest version of Adobe Reader.
- Install browser add-ons and widgets to help you in your research.
Register for your SciFinder search account.
- If you already have an account from another institution, you'll have to create a new one - they are not transferable. An email account ending in utexas.edu is required.
Bookmark some good starting points:
Start keeping up with the literature:
- You can set up alerts for your favorite journals.
- You can set up "Keep Me Posted" alerts in SciFinder or Web of Science.
- You can set up alerts in the Library Catalog to find out about new books matching your interests.
- Browse our New Book Shelf regularly, or scan our virtual Recent Arrivals site.
Consider purchasing EndNote software.
- If you're going to be searching and saving a lot of literature references and PDF articles, a reference management tool is a great time saver.
- The Libraries provide campus access to EndNote Web, but the productivity software package is more powerful and worth the investment.
Be ready to use the physical library.
- Always carry your UT ID card. You can't check out anything without it.
(Attention Postdocs: Your UT ID card may not be automatically validated for library checkout. Your appointment information will need to be complete and verified in our systems, and you will need to provide a valid email address, before you can check out books.)
- Buy a copy card to use photocopiers and fee-printers in the Libraries. They don't take cash.
- Familiarize yourself with important print reference sources in chemistry subjects.
- View the Library Hours page to know when libraries are open.
If you have any questions, please ask a staff member or send us an email.
