Lean Library: Features

Available on all major browser stores

The Lean Library extension is available on Google Chrome, Safari, Microsoft Edge and Mozilla Firefox.

Customises the extension with your library branding

Provides libraries with the option to customise branding in patrons’ online workflows. Enables you to surface your library’s logo and colours on any targeted message, on multiple domains, so that your patrons know the service comes from you.

Simplifies access to eResources your library subscribes to

Provides users with domain-level authentication via the extension for all major authentication systems (Proxy, OpenAthens and Shibboleth) to simplify access to resources your library subscribes to, from wherever they are online. Lean Library automatically imports Proxy Resources daily to ensure users have an optimal remote access experience. Other solutions that don’t provide domain-level authentication only cover 20% of libraries worldwide.

Furthermore, users can select multiple affiliations to authenticate access via if they have different access at a faculty and institution level.

Connects users with alternative resources in your library

Connects users to alternative resources in your library holdings when they hit paywalled resources online. The Lean Library extension sends DOIs, ISSN (article), or ISBN (books) data to Crossref and searches against your Holdings Information to take users to where your library licenses the article, eBook, or holds the print version.

This means your Holding Information is queried with the Link Resolver via an Open URL request. Hence, the extension will provide a location for the resource.

Connects users with alternative Open Access resources

When users hit paywalls for a resource that the extension cannot find in your library holdings, it will connects users to Open Access alternatives of the resource where possible.

• For articles: Lean Library integrates with Unpaywall and CORE to connect users to a database of over 30 million free articles across over 50k publishers.
• For books: Lean Library integrates with the Directory of Open Access Books (DOAB), managed by the OAPEN Foundation, to connect users to over 75k Open Access eBooks.

Surfaces Inter-Library Loan / Document Delivery System

In the occasions where there is no version in your holdings and no Open Access option available, the Lean Library extension surfaces your Interlibrary Loan (ILL) / Document Delivery System (DDS) form for users to request the resource.

Surfaces targeted messages on any website

The Assist Message feature surfaces library messages to users on any chosen webpage or sub-page of a given domain. Librarians can set Assist Messages to be always-on or for a set time-period. The messages are fully customizable but Lean Library also provides toggle-on templates of the most popular and effective Assist Messages.

Integrates with Google Scholar and PubMed

With the Google Scholar Integration, we can let Google Scholar know that a user is from your institute. This can enhance the search results for the user by providing Full Text links next to licensed articles.

With PubMed Integration, PubMed will be able to identify which institute a patron is from, and enhance the search results for the user by providing Full Text links next to licensed articles.

Connects users to your library discovery based on key terms

Connects your users back to your library discovery, key abstract and indexing databases, or the open web. A user can highlight text on a page and then right-click and select the ‘Search Your Discovery Name’ from the context menu. The selected text will be forwarded, and a search result will be returned.

Alerts to new articles added to journal Table of Contents (ToCs)

Users can subscribe to ToC alerts of their chosen journals. When a new article is added to the journal, users receive a notification via email.

Generates citations for resources

The extension generates citations for articles or resources a user is on via a “Get Citation” button. Users can then easily copy and paste this to use into their paper or reference manager of choice. Lean Library integrates with Citation Style Language to provide accurate citations in whichever style your institution uses.

Integrates with scite.ai to surface article trust ratings

scite.ai is an efficient way to discover and understand research and uses Smart Citations to easily check how a scientific article has been cited and if it is supported or disputed by others. Lean Library’s scite.ai integration surfaces this functionality via the Lean Library pop-up when patrons land on academic sites so they can get a snapshot of how trusted an article is, without ever leaving their workflow.

Easy-to-use Librarian Dashboard for admins

Admins get access to a Librarian Dashboard where they can configure settings for their institution. The dashboard provides usage reports and a Stats Insights Module that displays the value Lean Library is unlocking for your patrons and library alike, including:

• Time saved with the use of the extension
• Money saved by unlocking Open Access content
• Visibility of your institution’s branding

Contains all Lean Library Access features plus more

Lean Library Workflow for LibGuides contains all features in the Lean Library Access package, plus additional features below that bring your library guidance and instruction into your patrons’ online workflows.

Surfaces LibGuides and other library training materials

Lean Library’s Onboarding feature surfaces any of your library’s LibGuides, or other onboarding manuals, at relevant points of your patrons’ workflow. For example, you can deploy your Google Scholar LibGuide to your patrons when they land on Google Scholar, via the Lean Library extension. This gives targeted training at the point of need.

Surfaces your Library Chat service

Lean Library’s Library Chat integration surfaces your library’s live chat service to users online, where and when they need it. We integrate with Springshare LibChat or other third-party solutions for this feature.

Surfaces a Sage Campus online course on the OpenAI domain

Lean Library’s integration with Sage Campus surfaces a free online course, The Art of ChatGPT Interactions, via the Onboarding feature when on the OpenAI.com domain. This delivers targeted guidance on how to use ChatGPT for research and studies as users are trying to use the tool.

Surfaces your library’s support tools via the extension

Lean Library’s support tools surface easy access links to the library’s service desk or FAQs via the extension pop-up. It can also be used to collect useful insights from patrons by surfacing surveys in the extension pop-up on certain locations.

Easy-to-use Librarian Dashboard for admins

Admins get access to a Librarian Dashboard where they can configure settings for their institution. The dashboard provides usage reports and a Stats Insights Module that displays the value Lean Library is unlocking for your patrons and library alike, including:

• Time saved with the use of the extension
• Money saved by unlocking Open Access content
• Visibility of your institution’s branding

All Lean Library Access & Workflow for LibGuides Features plus more
Lean Library Futures contains all features from our Lean Library Access and Lean Library Workflow for LibGuides packages, plus additional premium features below that bring all your library’s resources and services into your patrons’ online workflows.

Brings the power of your library discovery service to Google

Lean Library integrates with ExLibris Summon, Primo, EBSCO Discovery Service and OCLC WorldCat Discovery to bring the power of your library discovery service to Google and Google Scholar. Users can pull your library’s discovery search results into their Google and Google Scholar search result page via the Lean Library extension to discover more content from their library.

Enhanced integration with your special collections and resources

Lean Library’s Keyword Enhancement feature brings taxonomy information of publisher content your library subscribes to into your patron’s online workflow. For example, if your library subscribes to Sage Research Methods, your library can set up Lean Library so that the Sage Research Methods taxonomy and definitions are shown to patrons for keywords and terms on Wikipedia, giving your patrons more accurate definitions from more trusted sources. Patrons can also be redirected to the publisher content for that keyword too, with just a click of a button.

Obtains at scale qualitative insights

Lean Library’s Net Promoter Score feature is the first, at scale qualitative insights solution. It surfaces your library questionnaires to patrons to evaluate your library resources at the point of accessing them, giving your library useful insight.

Easy-to-use Librarian Dashboard for admins

Admins get access to a Librarian Dashboard where they can configure settings for their institution. The dashboard provides usage reports and a Stats Insights Module that displays the value Lean Library is unlocking for your patrons and library alike, including:

• Time saved with the use of the extension
• Money saved by unlocking Open Access content
• Visibility of your institution’s branding