Accessing the Alumni Society site now (2017) requires a Friends of Penn State (FPS) account. This is different from your Alumni Society login information.
“Members also receive exclusive access to University library databases through the Alumni Library Online.”
Click on these links and log in with your ID number and last name, and you’ll be taken right to the publication!
My question:
Hello!
I am a Penn State Alumni lifetime member, so I have access to the alumni database searches listed here: http://www.libraries.psu.edu/psul/alumni.html
Sometimes, I see that Penn State has access to the full-text of a resource on LionSearch, but I’m then unable to find that resource using the alumni database search. (as far as I’m aware, alumni are unable to use LionSearch)
For example, today I was looking for a paper entitled “Three-Dimensional Transient Thermal Analysis for a Silicon PCR Microreactor”. LionSearch says a full-text is available, but only the abstract shows up in EBSCO.
Am I doing something wrong? Are some full-texts that show up in LionSearch unavailable to alumni?
The answer:
The reason for the block is that the publisher has placed an 18-month moratorium before Ebsco is allowed to provide access to the fulltext. Current students, faculty and staff can access the article directly from the publisher, however, that service is not part of the Alumni Library package. If you are near a Penn State campus, you can access this resource on-site for free using a Visitor’s Station. (Providing public access is part of our mission as a land grant institution.)
FYI, LionSearch is available for anyone to search, although current students, faculty and staff see larger result sets.