Skip to content Skip to main navigation Skip to footer

Researcher

Search your Alexandria catalog and engage with your library using these robust patron interfaces.
Access the Researcher Hub directly from your Alexandria URL, or by appending /researcher to the URL.

Related Tips

Researcher FAQs

Best Practices

Researcher Video Playlist

Researcher is the Alexandria suite of patron interfaces, which includes the Researcher Hub. Read more below about customizing your hub.

Show your patrons these videos on how to use Researcher!


What’s the difference?

Search is when your patrons know the terms they want to look for. 
Browse is when you don’t really know what you want.
Explore provides a powerful graphical interface to your Alexandria collection. The interface uses pictures and icons to help patrons who do not yet read proficiently to find what they need in the collection. Often like a librarian-customized browse, for Collections or more. 
Scout is a cute, straightforward interface perfect for younger kids or anybody who doesn’t want all the bells and whistles of Search.

You might also be looking for…

Researcher Builder

Explore Builder

Navigator

Add-ons

See also Placing a Reservation in Researcher, and Placing a Hold in Researcher.

Your Researcher Hub is a central place for patrons to access Alexandria interfaces or any other learning materials. Use Builder > Display to set your own logo, logo mark, and welcome message for Researcher, and to set the Researcher Pane. You can completely customize the buttons of the Researcher Pane in Explore Builder.

Highlights
Stay logged in

In the top right corner of the window, log in to Researcher with your username and password. Now you can switch between Scout, Search, Status, and more, without logging in again.

Navigation Shortcuts

Tab your way through the links on this page, then tap enter to activate it.

Use the Back button on your browser to navigate to the previous page.

Use keyboard shortcuts to open modules, panes, searches, and URLs in a new tab or window:

  • ⌘ Command + click to open links in a new tab on macOS
  • Ctrl + click to open links in a new tab on Windows
  • Shift + click to open links in a new window
Customizable

Researcher is a customizable Explore pane. Choose which icons to display in Explore Builder, then go to Builder to select that pane, choose a Style, upload your library logo, and more. 

Mobile-friendly

Patrons can access Scout, Search, Status, and more from their phones and tablets, even when they’re at home. 

In all Researcher interfaces, you’ll find a standardized topnav.

On the left side, you have options for:

  • Researcher drawer. This shows whatever your Researcher pane is, allowing for easy navigation between modules.
  • Lists. See your saved lists and open them from here.
  • Bulletins. Go to the bulletin boards for your site.

On the right side, you have options for:

  • Log in. Log in to save and see personalized information such as the number of items you have out, and your lists.
  • User menu. This gives you a quick glance of your account information and shortcut to Patron Status. You can also view Site info (as set in Tools > Sites), change language, and log out. If you are part of a centralized catalog you’ll have other site options in this menu, depending on what interface you are in, such as ‘search all sites’ or ‘switch site’.
  • Help. This shows some simple information to help you get a grasp on the interface you are viewing.

Researcher FAQ

Can I change the Browse by options?

Why are copies being randomly added that can't be selected or modified?

Is it required that patrons log in to write reviews?

When using Scout, is there a way to automatically show all items that are checked out?