Primo VE, also known as just "Primo", is a library search system used in many academic libraries to help patrons find resources like books, articles, and more. It is often known to users as the library catalog or just the catalog.
This guide was created by a group of librarians from different college libraries in South Carolina using Primo VE (which PTC uses), so the examples and screenshots used in this guide are not from PTC. These examples from other college libraries will teach you how to use PTC's Online Catalog (which uses the Primo VE platform) and will give you an idea of how the library skills you learn at PTC apply in other academic library settings.
This guide has been created to help you navigate and utilize the library catalog at your own institution.
This LibGuide was developed by the PASCAL Discovery, Reference, and User Experience Working Group with some assistance from ChatGPT, a language model created by OpenAI.
From Ex Libris’ Accessibility for Primo VE Documentation:
“All researchers, regardless of ability, need access to scholarly information. ProQuest is committed to providing all our users with a fully accessible experience for research, teaching, and learning.
At ProQuest, we make every effort to ensure that our platforms – including Primo – can be used by everyone. Primo is continually designed and developed to meet Level AA of the W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.1) and Section 508 of the US Rehabilitation Act for features and functions.”
Access the documentation on Primo VE’s accessibility features and gaps at the previously linked documentation. View the full Accessibility Compliance Report at this link.
Search the PTC Online Catalog by clicking on the link below or typing a keyword search in the box below:
Signing in to the library catalog allows you access to electronic resources like articles and ebooks, and to request items from your library or other academic libraries through PASCAL. It also allows you to pin and save items for later access and to export search results. If you aren't signed in, you'll see a yellow banner across the top of your page:
Follow these steps to sign in to your account.
On the catalog’s homepage, look for a box titled “Where can I get help?” This will have information from your librarians on the best way to get assistance at your institution. There will often be a link in this box or a button on the edge of the page called “Ask a Librarian” or something similar that opens a chat box or feedback page. Try it out and see how it works! Don’t worry if you’ve never used the chat box before - the librarians are there to help you.
