Library Login Help


See the catalog sign-in help page for current information about logging in to databases or checking out ebooks.

  Library Databases


Library databases are the source of digital content like journal articles and online reference books.

Our Discovery link searches many databases at once, but if you know you need to use a particular database, you can use it directly.
Some popular databases are:

  Resources for Online Students


Library resources and support are available to distance learners as well as those on campus.  Here are some things for online students to know:
  • You have access to all of the digital/electronic resources in the library. 
    • If you don't have a physical ID card, you can find your library barcode number (used for some library logins) on Portal:  Directory --> "Me" tab -->  Library Barcode.
  • For print books, we recommend the following: 
    • 1) See if your local public library offers an interlibrary loan (ILL) service, and request your books through that.  They may come to you from MLC or from another library.  There is usually no charge for this service.
    • 2) If ILL is not a good option, you may request that we mail books to you.  We don't charge for mailing them to you, but you'll be responsible for any costs in returning them to us.
  • For articles that are not available through MLC databases:
    • 1) Check MNLINK to see if the article is available from another Minnesota library.  (Set your search to "Articles.") Use the "Request Item" button and log in with your library barcode and password to request the article.  Articles are usually delivered via email within a day or two.
    • 2) Fill out our ILL request form to see if we can find the item from another library.  Articles will be emailed to you within a few days.
  • If you need help with library resources, please call us at 507-233-9131 or email libraryhelp@mlc-wels.edu.  We are happy to help!

  Ebooks


The MLC library has ebooks available through several different services.  Some allow you to check out a book for a period of time, just like a regular library book.  Others allow use for multiple people at one time.  You may be able to print and/or save sections of a book.

The best way to find ebooks is by using the library's catalog.  Search for a book, and at the top of the results list, you can click the "Available Online" button to see your digital options, including ebooks and some audiobooks.
Available Online button

You'll see two different buttons for checking out ebooks.
  • Check Out from Overdrive/Libby:  Downloading the Libby app is the best option for these.  You'll log in with your library card (MLC ID barcode) number and library password.  (See the catalog's sign-in help page for password information.)
    Check Out from Overdrive/Libby
  • MLC Users Online Access:  If you are on campus, you shouldn't need to log in.  If you're off campus, a login page will pop up, and you'll use your MLC login (same as Portal and Moodle) for access.
    MLC Users Online Access button
Some ebooks may also be found while searching Discovery.  They will say eBook and have a link to the full text of the book, which might be EPUB, PDF, or another format.  
Example of ebook entry in Discovery

  Contact Us

507-233-9131
libraryhelp@mlc-wels.edu

  Quick Links

  • MLC Catalog: Books and ebooks in the MLC Library.  
  • Discovery:  One-stop source for journal articles and other digital content.
  • MLC Library Website: Information about the library and its resources. 
  • MNLINK: Minnesota libraries--Request journal articles for email delivery in a day or two.
  • ILL (interlibrary loan): Request articles that you can't find in MLC or MNLINK, usually emailed in a day or two.
  • MLC KnightHelp:  Help with passwords, Moodle, and more.

  Library Hours Calendar


  Library Help


Need help with something library-related? 

Check the Tutorials tab above for some quick tips for using some library resources.

These help sheets provide information on aspects of the library.  Print copies are available near the Luther statue in the library lobby.
Permalinks

link Permalinks


Sometimes you'll find a good article or resource, and you'll want to be able to return to it easily.  But you tried copying the URL, and it just didn't work right to get you back to the article.  There's a solution for this:  using permalinks.

Permalinks, also known as stable links, permanent links, document URLs, or stable URLs, are links that don't break when you go back to them.  This means you can save, cite, or share the articles with others.  This is especially important for information from paid library databases that require you to either be on campus or logged in while using the resource.  If you don't use the permalink, you might get to the article but then be prompted to pay for it, even though the library may provide it to you at no cost.

Here's how to use permalinks:
  • Find an article in a library database or by using our Discovery search.
  • Look for a button that says permalink, stable URL, stable link, etc.  It might be in a side menu or top or bottom menu.
  • Copy the permalink.  It may start with something like https://emil.mlc-wels.edu/login?url=  That's our proxy URL, the part that makes it available only to MLC users and forces you to log in if you're off-campus.
  • Paste the permalink into your reference manager, Moodle, email, or document. 
If you find a link that looks like a stable url, for example jstor.org/stable/42772693, save that link.  Then, if you're off-campus and it is trying to charge you for the article, try putting the string https://emil.mlc-wels.edu/login?url= in front of it and see if it forces you to log in for access to the article.

For more info about permalinks, see this well-developed guide from Texas State University.
Library Staff

​  Library Staff


Sue Gurgel
Reference, Research Help, Interlibrary Loan, Children's Literature
gurgelsl@mlc-wels.edu

 
​Susan Plocher
Databases, Journals, Reserves, Website
plochesm@mlc-wels.edu


 
Liz WesselLiz Wessel
Curriculum Library, Makerspace, Checkouts, Fines and Bills
wesselea@mlc-wels.edu

 
Grace BasesMary Hames 
Catalog Records, Call Numbers
hamesmb@mlc-wels.edu


 
Linda KramerLinda Kramer
Library Director, Materials Selection, Research Help, Reference
kramerlm@mlc-wels.edu
 
How to Find Peer-Reviewed Journals Using Discovery

14 STEPS

1. This tutorial will show you how to find peer-reviewed journals in library databases. Use the arrows to navigate between steps if the tutorial does not advance on its own or to skip typing in any step. Click the right arrow in the menu below to begin.

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2. From the MLC Library website (mlc-wels.edu/library), click in the search box for Discovery: Electronic Resources.

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3. Enter your search terms. Try education.

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4. Click Search.

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5. On the search results page, check the box for Limit To . . . Scholarly (Peer Reviewed) Journals.

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6. Your search results will update to include only peer-reviewed journals.

To read an article, click on a full-text link such as PDF Full Text.

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7. This will take you to the article.

Sometimes you'll have to click through a few more links to get to the content of the article.

Let's go back to the search results page. Click Result List.

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8. You may also wish to narrow your results by a particular journal. To do that, click Limit by Publication.

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9. Click Show More to see all of the journals included in your search results.

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10. The default sort is by "hit count," but you can change to an alphabetical sort by clicking the Name column heading.

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11. You can scroll down and select one or more individual journals.

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12. Click Update.

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13. Your results will now be narrowed to peer-reviewed journals and the specific titles you chose.

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14. Please contact the library if you have any questions: libraryhelp@mlc-wels.edu.

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Here's an interactive tutorial

** Best experienced in Full Screen (click the icon in the top right corner before you begin) **

https://www.iorad.com/player/2168779/How-to-Find-Peer-Reviewed-Journals-in-Library-Databases

How to Read an Entire Journal Online

21 STEPS

1. This tutorial will show you how to read an entire journal issue online. Use the arrows to navigate between steps if the tutorial does not advance on its own. You may also use the arrows to skip typing in any step. Click the right arrow to begin.

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2. Begin at the MLC library website: mlc-wels.edu/library

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3. Scroll down and click Search for Publications.

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4. Enter the title of the journal you're looking for.

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5. If we have access to the journal, its name will pop up as you type.

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6. Click Full Text Access.

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7. You'll get a list of databases that contain this journal title along with the dates covered by our access.

Sometimes there will be multiple databases to choose from. Some will work a little different from the next steps, but they all provide access.

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8. Choose a year from the list on the right.

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9. Then click the issue you want to read.

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10. Choose "PDF Full Text" for any article.

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11. Now, on the left, you'll have a way to navigate the entire journal issue. To get to the first article and read in order, click the back arrow.

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12. Click 1 - 5.

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13. Now the articles will be listed in the order they appear in the journal. Click the first title, and you'll get the full text of the article.

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14. You can continue reading each article in the 1-5 section. You might have to scroll down to see all of them.

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15. Then click 6-10 to see the next set of articles.

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16. Continue clicking and reading in the same manner until you've read the entire journal.

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17. Click DEVELOPMENTS IN THE ...

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18. If you want to save the article to read later or send it to a friend, click the link icon to obtain the permalink for the article.

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19. Click the permalink, and then use Ctrl+C to copy it. Paste it into a document or email. It will be readable by MLC faculty, staff, and students, who will need to log in with their Portal info if they are off campus.

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20. If you have questions about using our journals or databases, please contact a librarian at libraryhelp@mlc-wels.edu.

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21. If you have questions about using our journals or databases, please contact a librarian at libraryhelp@mlc-wels.edu.

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Here's an interactive tutorial

** Best experienced in Full Screen (click the icon in the top right corner before you begin) **

https://www.iorad.com/player/2240282/Mlc-wels---How-to-untitled-task-name

Using Gale Literature Resource Center

10 STEPS

1. The Gale Literature Resource Center is now integrated with the MLC catalog, making it easier to find biographical and critical information about authors and works.

Use the arrows in the bottom center of the screen to navigate this tutorial.

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2. Begin at the MLC library catalog and search for an article or publication. In this example, I've used the author Jaroslav Hasek.

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3. Scroll down and find one of the Gale ebook resources and click MLC Users Online Access.

On-campus users will not have to log in. Off-campus users will log in with their Portal credentials.

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4. Enter the name or title again in the "Search within publication" box and click Submit. This will search the single title that you linked from the catalog.

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5. To read an article, click on its title. Scroll down and click the article title.

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6. You should see the full text of the article.

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7. DO NOT click on the Full Text Finder link. It will result in a dead-end page that has to an ILL request link.

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8. If, instead of searching "Search within publication" on the right, you search at the top of the screen, you will search all of the resources in the Gale Literature Resource Center.

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9. You may then scroll through the articles or narrow them by topic.

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10. I hope you will find it useful to have the Gale Literature Resource Center incorporated into the MLC catalog. Please let me know if you have any questions or issues.

Linda Kramer

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Here's an interactive tutorial

** Best experienced in Full Screen (click the icon in the top right corner before you begin) **

https://www.iorad.com/player/2209481/Using-Gale-Literature-Resource-Center