MacEwan’s Library is introducing the LibKey Nomad browser extension, aimed at helping students get access to scholarly articles on the web for free. Whether your research topic takes you to Google or other search engines, LibKey works as a filter, finding you free access to articles online at the library. 

LibKey is a game-changer for students. The struggle to find a loophole around article fees is over, saving us time and energy while researching. Midterms are creeping up, and LibKey’s launch couldn’t have come at a better time. Take advantage of the resources here at the library and get the most bang for your buck out of your tuition. 

Preethi Gorecki, MacEwan’s communication librarian, emphasizes the uniqueness of LibKey and stresses the beneficial impact it will have on student’s education: “It’s an excellent research tool that I wish I had access to when I was a student.”

“Let’s say you have a research essay, and there is a Wikipedia article on your topic. Of course, you can’t actually reference Wikipedia in your paper, or your professor will probably give you a pretty bad grade. But let’s say there’s an article you want in the references section of that Wikipedia page that would be perfect for your paper — with the LibKey Nomad browser extension, you can just click that link in the references and be taken directly to that article if the MacEwan Library has access to it,” Gorecki says. 

Download LibKey’s browser extension and click the link in the references at the bottom of your article, and LibKey will redirect you to the library where you can access the article for free. In addition to Google and Wikipedia, browsers such as Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Brave, Vivaldi, and Edge are all supported.