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Library Search (original): Troubleshoots

Help with using Search, the Library's discovery platform

Issue using Search for some FireFox and Chrome browser users

There have been recent issues of some users getting blank screens when connecting to Search via Chrome or Firefox. These issues may be related to browser user profiles and we are currently working on finding the cause and a resolution. In the meantime here are a few options to work around the problem:

#1 Preferred option: Browse in private browsing mode.

#2 Using an alternate URL.
Note that this URL can change when we do a server upgrade.

#3 Drastic option:  Creating a new browser user profile.
Note that this will reset your bookmarks and extensions.

For non-Monash staff or students

Passwords for non-Monash staff or students

  • Your barcode as your Username
  • Your family name as your Password
  • If you have changed password via Account settings in Search since the initial setup (see the next section), your password will be the new one you chose

For additional security you can change your password using the following steps:

  1. Sign into Search, using your default Username and password. Note the sign-in link is at the top right hand of the Search home page
  2. Open the link to your account settings, by left clicking on the My Loans link at the top right hand of the Search home page
  3. In the My Loans screen, look for the Accounts settings option at the left hand side of the screen
  4. Now left click on the Edit Details link at the bottom of the screen, to open the update Personal Details option.
  5. Use the Update Login Credentials link at the bottom of the screen to access the option to change your password.
  6. Once you save the change, you will be advised that the update was successful.

NOTE: If you use this option to change your password, your must keep a record of it.

Problem signing in?

User name displays as “Firstname Lastname” and none of the loans or e-shelf records appear?

If your user information in the Library system is incomplete, Search may use an alternative service to sign you in and will not give you access to your full record. Contact the Library if this occurs.

Signing into Search failed using Monash computer account?

The library has in the past experienced system wide failure of the connections between a number of our search and discovery applications, and the University's authentication system. If this problem reoccurs, try one of the followings.

Check your account for:

Clear your browser cache regularly

Search has been written to take advantage of your browser's caching functionality, which usually, will speed up Search response times.

Browser caching works best if you carry out a few regular maintenance tasks on your computer. If you haven't cleaned your browser cache recently, or if you're working with a Windows operating system, and you haven't run the Windows Cleanup process recently, Search's caching of pages can cause performance issues. To resolve these:

How to flush DNS server

If you encounter an "Internal Server Error" while accessing Search you might need to clear your computer's DNS and browser cache. To do so, use the following steps

  • For Windows users:
    1. Click on the Start button in the bottom left hand corner.
    2. Select the run option
    3. When the run box opens, type in ipconfig /flushdns and press OK.
  • For Mac users
    1. in terminal, type dscacheutil -flushcache
    2. hit enter

It may also help your system's performance to clear your cache and cookies. If neither of these processes help and you are accessing Search from home, try to restart your modem and computer.

Reset browser security settings

Customised web browser security settings can sometimes interfere with Search and result in error messages being displayed when certain links are clicked on. It is useful to reset these settings when troubleshooting by returing your browser to its default state.