How to Use Primo - The CT State Library Discovery Tool

Primo, Library Catalog

What is Primo?

Primo is the discovery tool at the CT State Library - our library catalog. It includes print, electronic, and digital resources at the Hartford location, as well as resources at the Middletown Service Center. Primo is a one-stop location to search for books, government reports, journals, and more! 

Please contact us to inquire about the availability of our materials. 

What is in Primo? What is not?

This is a little tricky - it depends on how you choose to search.

Search Scopes

• CT State Library (CSL) - we have the search tool set to CT State Library (CSL) library catalog when you first open up Primo from our web site. This setting searches what is traditionally found in a library catalog: our books, government publications, titles of journals and newspapers (but not the articles), maps, some of our database content (requires CSL library card to access) - in many formats (online, in print, microforms, etc.).
• CSL Catalog, Plus Articles - this searches our catalog (like above) plus many articles from a collection set by Primo. Some are freely available, some require our library card, and a few might not be available. For those not available, you can bring the citation information to your local library and ask them to help you. CT State Agencies should contact us. We have additional databases available on our A-Z Databases page. 
• Middletown Service Center - this option is for libraries in Connecticut. Materials are available only for CT libraries. CT library staff, please contact them with questions.
• CSCU Library Consortium - searches across all catalogs of Connecticut State Colleges & Universities (CSCU) Library Consortium, consisting of Connecticut’s 12 community colleges, four state universities, Charter Oak State College, and the Connecticut State Library.
• Electronic Resources - searches online items in CSL collections as well as articles available through selected sources. We have additional databases available on our A-Z Databases page. 

What is not in Primo?

• Full Text Content
  • You cannot search for full text content of items in Primo - only for the records about the items (author, title, publication year, and more) and how to read them (call number, archival record group information, links to online content, etc.)
    • Example: You can find the title of an online report in our library - but not contents of the report. You may find a link to the contents, but Primo won't search the full text.
• Archival Materials
  • Some of the CT State Archives materials may be cataloged in Primo, but only some.
  • To research content in CT State Archives, use Connecticut State Archives Finding Aids.
• Articles from magazines, newspapers or journals
  • See bullet point about full text content.
  • Not all articles are online, and you may need to use the print or microform version.
  • Online articles are found by searching the databases which include the magazine, newspaper, journal.
  • You can search the title of a magazine, newspaper, or journal to see if we subscribe. You may find records about the items (title, publication year, years we hold, and more) and how to read them (call number, archival record group information, links to A-Z list of databases, etc.). 

Try these tools to find information not in Primo:

Primo allows you to search all institutions in the CSCU Library Consortium. However, you can limit your search to the CT State Library (CSL). For a search experience that is similar to using a card catalog, please see the Browse Search page (see left navigation menu). 

Select CSL Catalog from the search bar drop down menu to search the electronic and print holdings of the State Library (including the Middletown Service Center). 

If you wish to search beyond the CSL Catalog, you can select other options in the search box drop down menu. Please note that some resources may only be available within the library that owns or subscribes to them. 

• CT State Library (CSL) - we have the search tool set to CT State Library (CSL) library catalog when you first open up Primo from our web site. This setting searches what is traditionally found in a library catalog: our books, government publications, titles of journals and newspapers (but not the articles), maps, some of our database content (requires CSL library card to access) - in many formats (online, in print, microforms, etc.).
• CSL Catalog, Plus Articles - this searches our catalog (like above) plus many articles from a collection set by Primo. Some are freely available, some require our library card, and a few might not be available. For those not available, you can bring the citation information to your local library and ask them to help you. CT State Agencies should contact us. We have additional databases available on our A-Z Databases page. 
• Middletown Service Center - this option is for libraries in Connecticut. Materials are available only for CT libraries. CT library staff, please contact them with questions.
• CSCU Library Consortium - searches across all catalogs of Connecticut State Colleges & Universities (CSCU) Library Consortium, consisting of Connecticut’s 12 community colleges, four state universities, Charter Oak State College, and the Connecticut State Library.

If you are interested in Middletown Library Service Center (MLSC) materials, please contact the Division of Library Development (DLD).

If you have an account with DLD, please contact DLD to reset your password. Please see the links below for DLD contact information and the Service Center website.