The MIT Libraries online collection has a catalogue of over 3 million printed volumes and over 55,000 online databases and electronic journal titles as well as extensive collections of microforms, maps, images and multimedia materials. Barton, the MIT catalog, allows all users to retrieve some basic info and perform the standard bibliographic searches. E-journals and databases are provided with specific icons describing the nature of resources (open access or MIT licensed) to help users identify contents. D-Space is a MIT’s online institutional repository of about 30,000 theses built to save, share, and search MIT’s digital research materials in full-text format. A free subscription is required to access the D-Space service. Other materials (e-books, latest papers and recent contents) can be accessed only through a subscription, either institutional or individual. Political Science databases and PS online journals are available only for MIT users. Many and complex navigational tools are provided in order to locate and retrieve the desired record and/or material. A well standardized interface and a sitemap enable users to successfully navigate the large quantity of pages and categories available. Along with a “Help Yourself” section and several help facilities, a news blogs and a RSS feed subscription are also provided.
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