What IS LibKey Nomad?
LibKey Nomad is a browser extension: it's added on to the browser you already use, such as Chrome, Firefox, or Edge.
Once installed, Nomad will look to see if any articles you find while browsing the web are available for free through the College of DuPage Library. You will see messages pop up on websites like this one:
Click this button and you can automatically access the full-text article if the COD Library subscribes to that journal or resource.
LibKey Nomad works on many websites including Wikipedia, PubMed, Google Scholar, and even Amazon.
HOW to Install Nomad
Get LibKey Nomad Now
Follow the link above or click this image to go to the LibKey Nomad download page and click "GET LIBKEY NOMAD NOW"
Choose the browser you are currently using, such as Chrome or Firefox.
Here is the Chrome web store where you can get the LibKey Nomad extension by hitting "Add to Chrome." It's completely free!
On Chrome, a pop-up will appear to ask permission to "Add extension." This allows LibKey Nomad to check if articles you are looking at are available through the library.
Once installed, LibKey Nomad will ask you what organization you belong to -- search for "College of DuPage" and click on the name to select.
Once you see the College of DuPage logo at the top of the LibKey Nomad box, you are all done! You should now see LibKey Nomad pop-ups on most scholarly websites to offer you full-text options if available.
Using Nomad
Download Nomad from your preferred browser's store. Type in "College of DuPage" in the institution field to link to the library's content.
Nomad works on many different websites including Wikipedia, Google Scholar, and publish websites. The Nomad icon will pop up if the library has access to the journal, article, or eBook.
In the example below, Nomad has redirected to the library catalog and shows that the article can be found in MEDLINE Ultimate.
The MEDLINE link redirects to the EBSCOhost platform where the article appears in full-text.
Using Nomad with Google Scholar
While on campus and using Google Scholar the library owned titles will appear with COD links, Nomad allows you to have the same access at home.
In the example below, Nomad has redirected to the library catalog to show that the article is available through Science Direct.
The Science Direct link goes to the database page showing the article information and reading options.
Both the PDF and HTML text options are available for this title as well as the ability to download, save, and print.
LibKey Nomad - Browser Extension
Here's how LibKey Nomad works:
- Installation: LibKey Nomad can be installed on popular browsers like Google Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Brave, and Vivaldi.
- Institutional affiliation: After installation, users select their institution (e.g., COD) to link the extension to their library's subscriptions.
- Background operation: Once set up, LibKey Nomad runs in the background, monitoring web pages for scholarly article information without requiring users to log in to the library first.
- Automatic detection: The extension detects when a journal article (or sometimes an eBook) is available through the user's library subscriptions or open sources.
- Access buttons: When an available article is found, LibKey Nomad displays access buttons or the LibKey icon next to it, even on paywalled sites.
- One-click access: Users can click these buttons to directly access the full text of articles their library subscribes to, bypassing complex navigation.
- Wide coverage: LibKey Nomad works on various platforms, including publisher websites, Wikipedia, PubMed, Google Scholar, and even Amazon.
By simplifying the process of accessing scholarly content across the web, LibKey Nomad significantly enhances the research experience for users, allowing them to easily find and access articles without navigating through multiple pages or authentication steps.
