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Purpose -The aim of this paper is to review the evolving nature of the library web site with a focus on improving the usability of the access points to licensed and unlicensed research databases. Design/methodology/approach -The paper describes the milestones in the development of a library gateway and the incorporation of federated search into a prominent place in the gateway. Findings -Technological developments present new opportunities to extend the functionality of library systems. Achieving simplicity among the complex array of bibliographic and full text resources is critical. Originality/value -The efforts made by the library in the development of a gateway and incorporating metasearching and other tools into it have resulted in greater control over the way resources are presented to the user community.

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Purpose -The purpose of this article is to describe a new use of technology to improve users' access to electronic resources. Design/methodology/approach -Describes the use of guided searches in a library gateway to shorten the pathway to information for library users. Findings -Guided search forms can be constructed for both databases and catalogs using HTML and JavaScript. They are a useful alternative to vendor-provided search interfaces, especially for inexperienced users.Research limitations/implications -This paper focuses on the technical issues involved in creating guided searches. It does not address usability testing and a detailed comparison of effectiveness with vendor-provided interfaces. Practical implications -Working with tools already in hand libraries can improve the accessibility of electronic resources by crafting simpler user interfaces. Originality/value -The paper shows libraries how they can leverage their investment in databases and the catalog not only to make them more useful to their user communities, but to bring them more in tune with the expectations of users who have grown up with the web.