Help - Alerts

Help - Index


Depending on the level of functionality your library has allowed, you may not see this option. If you would like the Alerts option turned on, please speak to your librarian.

The alert service allows you to save your search query so the search will be run again automatically, either weekly, monthly or every 3 months. Your alert search then looks for newly added records that match the search query and sends the search results to you by email. Alerts are limited to 100. Libraries Australia users can change this amount by emailing the Libraries Australia Help Desk.

Please note, Alerts can only be created for the following databases: Australian Library Collections and Libraries Australia Authorities.

The Saved Alerts screen displays:

Create an Alert

You can create an Alert from the Saved Queries or Search History screen. Select the query you'd like to save and click on the blue 'Save as Alert' button (on the far right hand side of the screen).

You must then give the Alert a name and a brief description and select the frequency and length of time the alert should run. The email address you must supply is the address you'd like to send the query results to (once the Alert has run).

You can also select the format in which the results will be sent, for example: Brief text - no holdings, MARC - all holdings. Once you have filled in all the details, press the 'Save' button, and your Alert will be scheduled to run.

When successfully saved, you will be taken to the Alerts Tab, where you can review the Alert and edit it if required.

If you wish to Edit your alert search

Click on the "Edit" button. You will see the Edit Alert screen with all the information you originally entered on the Create Alert screen. You can now edit the data. Click on the "Save" button when you have completed your changes.

Time for Alert Expires

If the time you specified for your alert to run, eg a month, has now expired, and you want your alert search to continue for another month, click on the "Renew" button and the alert will be renewed for the same period of time. If you wish to change the time period, click on the Edit button, change the time period and then click on the "Save" button.

Archive alert data

Alerts are deleted from Libraries Australia three months after they expire. To allow reports to be produced on the number of alerts created per month (for instance), data on all alerts needs to be kept, even after they are deleted. Alert records will be duplicated in an alert archive when the alert is created.

If you no longer need one of your alert searches

Click on the "Remove" button and the alert search will be removed from your display of saved alerts. If you do not have access to the "Remove" button, contact your library and ask them to remove the alert search for you.

If you want to remove all your alerts in one go

Click the 'Remove All' button. You will then be prompted to confirm that you want to delete all your Alerts. Pleas note: If you are sharing a login with others, this will remove all their Alerts as well.