Research Guides: FYS 10: The Fairy Tale in Contemporary Literature: LibKey Nomad

What is LibKey Nomad?

LibKey Nomad is a browser extension that provides direct links to full text content as you conduct online research. Nomad works with Cowles Library to determine the quickest path to content across thousands of publisher websites.

Why should I use LibKey Nomad?

Once you configure the Nomad extension (a 1-minute process), it is active at the sites you visit during your research. You don't have to worry about using specific library links to get to those sites; Nomad will tell you whether Drake has access to full text content with clear on-screen buttons. This is especially helpful if you're doing your research off campus.

Not only does Nomad know whether Drake has access to full text, it can also present the full text document to you in a single click. This saves time and guesswork.

On certain sites, like PubMed, Web of Science, Wikipedia, and Google Scholar, Nomad performs additional in-page enhancements to lists of articles and references.

See this page for more information.

Does LibKey Nomad collect any of my private data?

No. Nomad uses the library's existing authentication process, so you don’t provide any personal information, and you don't need to create a separate account in order to use it.

Which web browsers are supported?

LibKey Nomad can be used with Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, Microsoft Edge, and a handful of other browsers.

How do I get LibKey Nomad?

Go to thirdiron.com/downloadnomad/ to select a browser extension. Once the extension is installed, click on it, then search for and select “Drake University” from the dropdown menu (see screenshot below). That's it!

The LibKey Nomad on-screen button doesn't always say "Download PDF." What do the different options mean?

LibKey Nomad presents the best available option, depending on what the library can access. Here is what each label means:

Download PDF - In a single click, you should either see a PDF on your screen or be prompted to download a PDF immediately. If authentication is required, you'll be prompted to sign in with your Drake credentials. The PDF document is either coming directly from the publisher or is the publisher's version (according to unpaywall data), but held in a repository such as PubMed Central, EuroPMC or a university repository.

Article Link - The same as the above with the exception that you will NOT see a PDF; instead, you will see a web page which either has the full text in HTML or also has the PDF, but one more link is required to access it.

Manuscript PDF - The article has been found in the form of an Accepted Manuscript in a repository. While the content has been peer-reviewed it is unlikely to be formatted for publishing so may appear as an unformatted Word Document, etc. These documents never require authentication.

Manuscript Link - Same as the above, except one more click is required to get to the PDF, if the PDF is even available. No authentication is required.

Access Options... - LibKey Nomad cannot determine with certainty whether the library has full text access, and will present a list of options that may include requesting through Interlibrary Loan.

LibKey Nomad

Bring library resources into your research workflow using LibKey Nomad.

Now you can start your research on sites outside the library website, like Google Scholar, Pubmed (yes, even Wikipedia), and the LibKey Nomad browser extension will not only tell you when the library has full text access to an article, it will also provide a direct link to the PDF.

Select your browser extension, set it for Drake University, and start searching!