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Finding Full Text: SPU and Beyond

Use this guide to find out how to get the full text of desired books and articles, beginning with the Overview.

Find Full Text on Google Scholar

You can also link to SPU-mediated full text from within Google Scholar. To do so, you must be either on campus or logged in.

1) To begin, Click on a Google Scholar link in a list of SPU Library databases, and log in using your SPU username and password.  As from the A-Z list, for example:

SPU Library databases search with "Google Scholar" highlighted


Screenshot of SPU Library database list with the letter G highlighted, as well as the version of Google Scholar that happens to be linked to SPU full text.

2) You should then see the Full-Text@SPU Library link to the right of the results of your search (in this case for the term filoque):

Google Scholar search results with "Full-Text" option highlighted

Screenshot of Google Scholar results list with an article and the Full-Text@SPU Library link highlighted.

3) Click on the Full-Text@SPU Library link.  You will be taken to a Library Search web page with the View It tab opened. From there, simply click on the link to Full text and Sign in:

SPU Library webpage with "view it", "Sign-in for more options", and "Full text available" highlighted

Screenshot of a catalog record citing a journal article and highlighting a link to Full text and the option to Sign in.

4) If a hitch in the linkage occurs, then fall back on the steps to full text outlined in our Overview.  Keep in mind that full text on paper on the Library's Lower Level (which SPU will sometimes have) is not usually flagged by Google Scholar, as in the case of the Scottish Journal of Theology, below, and that scans of articles in journal issues owned by SPU on paper can be requested via this ARTICLE request form.

SPU Library catalog search results with "Available at SPU Periodicals" highlighted

Screenshot of a Google Scholar result for the Scottish Journal of Theology without the link to Full-Text@SPU LibraryScreenshot of the record for the Scottish Journal of Theology in the Library catalog that indicates, notwithstanding, its availability on paper, viewability in person, scanability, and requestability, too.

What if I don't see the link?

Go to the Google Scholar home page and click the Settings button that appears when you click on the three lines in the top left-hand corner.

Google scholar settings


Screenshot of Google Scholar menu screen with three-lines icon and Settings link highlighted.

In Settings, click Library links, and check to be sure that Seattle Pacific University - Full-Text@SPU Library is selected.  If it isn't, then run a search for Seattle Pacific University in the Search box under Show library access links for (choose up to five libraries):, select Seattle Pacific University - Full-Text@SPU Library, turn on cookies, and Save.

"Library links" highlighted in Google Scholar settings and "Seattle Pacific University-Full-text" is highlighted

Screenshot of Google Scholar settings screen with three-lines icon, Settings heading, and Library Links highlighted.  In search box text reads Seattle Pacific University, while box below reading Seattle Pacific University - Full-Text@SPU Library is checked.  Save button at bottom right is highlighted.

Now when you search you should see some Full-Text@ SPU Library links on the right side of your results list, and be able to proceed as under Find Full Text on Google Scholar, above.