Primo Search: Essentials
What is Primo?
Primo is the library search tool used to find items in the UHMC Library and its partner UH Libraries, as well as to access articles and other electronic resources.
What are Primo Scopes?
Primo scopes allow you to define how broadly your search is performed. From the library homepage, you can select a scope from the drop-down menu next to the search box. From within Primo Guided Search, the scopes become available for selection once you begin typing in the search box. The default is an Everything (articles, books, media) search.
What's included in each Scope?
Everything - finds books in the UHMC Library's collection, as well as articles, ebooks, DVDs and streaming media.
This Library -- search the UHMC Library's collection.
All UH Libraries - search all libraries in the UH System. Sign in once you are in a Primo webpage.
Articles+ - search a massive index of millions of scholarly journal articles, magazine and newspaper articles, ebooks, and legal documents.
EBSCO Search - search the library's EBSCO subscription databases.
Journal Search - search for available e-journals by title or category.
Primo is one part of your complete search.
Primo includes records from the research databases to which UHMC subscribes. However, searching appropriate databases from your course research guide or from the Databases A-Z list directly can provide more thorough and accurate results than relying solely on Primo.
TIP: Getting articles from other UH libraries
How to "Expand my Results"
This is a good option for "known item" searches - for when you know the title of a book or article but can't find the record in Primo. To use this feature you must be logged into Primo.
When there are no records found, or you want to see more search results from other UH libraries, select "Expand Search Results."
Next, click "No Online Access >" from the record box and then you will see the automatically-populated IntraSystem Loan form.
From the request form, be sure to select "Photocopy" for article PDFs at the bottom and then select Send Request.
IMPORTANT: If you get an auto-reply from the UHMC Library indicating that your request was cancelled, please email uhmclib@hawaii.edu with your UH ID number and the title of the item that you need. We will try to get it for you.
Why it's important to sign into Primo.
Sign into Primo with your UH login.
Signing into Primo improves your experience in multiple ways.
- Access licensed resources. The library has ebooks and subscribes to databases of full-text articles that are available only for UH students, faculty & staff. Some of these resources require that you sign in. When you sign in, you can search within and easily retrieve items from these resources.
- Use library services. You can request an item from a UH System library to be sent to UHMC Library, request a locally-owned item be held for you, or reserve a item for a specific time.
- Use Primo features. You can permanently save items or searches, be alerted when new material meeting your interests is added, and tag items with your own terminology.
- Manage your library account and set preferences. You can review & renew your current loans.