Now that you’re back and shaking the dust off of your research brain, let’s look at some handy Catalyst features that might get overlooked when you’re otherwise laser-focused on cranking out a paper.
The first thing to know is that Catalyst and citation management are besties. When you look at the full display of an item in Catalyst, take note of that box in the upper right. If citation management tools are your thing (and they should be), you can export directly to RefWorks or EndNote from right here. If you’re just looking for a quick and dirty citation, hit ‘Cite This’ to see this item in MLA, APA, and Chicago citation formats ripe for cutting and pasting.
If you’ve hit on some really great search results, you can do a really quick bulk export to your citation tool of choice. Just check the little ‘Bookmark’ box on 
the right hand side of the search results. After you’re done with your checkbox binge, click on the ‘Bookmarks’ link all the way at the top of the screen. Everything in your selected items can now be moved to either RefWorks or EndNote, or e-mailed to yourself in one fell swoop.
For many items in Catalyst, you can search the text of the book directly without even getting up to thumb through it. Be on the look out for the ‘Search inside this book’ box on the full item display page. If it’s possible, it’ll be there to make your life a little easier.
After doing a search or two and finding something that looks interesting, the next question is inevitably, “Where do I get it?” If the item you are after is within Eisenhower Library, we have a handy feature within Catalyst that will show you exactly how to get there:
Just click on availability box on the search results page (the bit with the call number):
And then click on the ‘Floor Map’ button:
Just above the map diagram, you may notice a bit of text that says: “Shelf/Service Location”. If you’re in a hurry, this can be a massive timesaver. If it’s on the shelf, as it is here, the letter tells you which floor it is located on (D in this case), and which shelf (the third from the end, here). If it’s in Special Collections or on reserve, you will see the location where you can pick it up.
The other button next to the map button is another handy feature: text this item to yourself. This is particularly useful if you’re looking at Catalyst outside of Eisenhower Library and you need to remind yourself to pick up an item when you’re in the building. What you receive is a text with the item’s title, location, and call number as well as a link to the item within Catalyst. Something like this:
We hope these quick little features make your life a little bit easier. If you have ideas for other Catalyst features, let us know by clicking on the red ‘Feedback‘ link at the bottom of Catalyst.