One alumnus searched for sources on fluid management in the life sciences industry. Another scouted research on the psychological effects of high-density housing. Both utilized KnowledgeNET, an online library that gives Hopkins alumni free access to tens of thousands of academic journals, professional and trade publications, e-books, magazines, working papers, and news stories. Resources span the arts and humanities, biomedical and social sciences, business and management, and science, technology, engineering, and math.
"Any graduate can use their alumni email credentials to access this treasure trove of information," says Patricia Lovett, who welcomes research questions and loves rolling up her sleeves to, say, track down a French medieval manuscript. She has served as the KnowledgeNET librarian since its launch in 2005, when students started growing accustomed to the massive amounts of information available through library services. "Students felt in the dark after they graduated, with information no longer fully at their fingertips," Lovett says. "KnowledgeNET became our solution."
Today, around 7,000 alumni log in to KnowledgeNET each year for premium access to historical newspaper archives; drafts of literary manuscripts, letters, and diaries; scholarship on musical compositions, composers, and scores; declassified government documents covering major international events; and a business directory with more than 2.5 million active job postings.
Alumni log in from all over the world to prepare for a job interview, read up on research in their field, or satisfy their intellectual curiosity. It's this last reason most alumni sign on, and why the Alumni Association created the benefit in the first place, explains Marguerite Jones, A&S '74, Bus '88, senior director of Alumni Benefits and Services. "When you graduate and leave campus, we want you to know that the growth and learning continue for life," Jones says.
