For detailed instructions on how to create a user account, please visit this page.

For information on the benefits of having a user account, please see this video:

Using the Search Box

To do a simple keyword search, such as the kind of search you would do on Google, type your search term(s) in the white box near the top of the page. After you have typed your search term(s), hit “Enter” on your keyboard or click on the magnifying glass to the right of the box.

While you type, suggested items may appear under the box. If you see an item you wish to view, you can double-click on it when it appears to be taken directly to that item.

Refining Your Search Results

Discover Facets

After you have done your initial search, you can narrow down your search results with facets, which appear on the left side of the screen. Facets allow you to restrict your search based on author, year, state, type of item, and subject.

To narrow down your search using these facets, simply click on the one you want to use. For example, if you want to narrow your search by date, click on “Year.”

This will open a drop-down menu with years that you can click on. This drop-down menu will not show every single year; it will show only the ones that are compatible with your search. For instance, if you searched for “misclassification,” and there are no items in the collection that contain the word misclassification prior to 1980, the drop-down menu will not contain any years prior to 1980.

Filters

You also can use the Library’s search filters to narrow down your search. After you do an initial keyword search, filter search options will appear above your search results. For this type of refinement, you will type additional search terms into a search box, instead of clicking on terms.

You can narrow down your search by additional keywords, author, title, publication date, publisher, state, language, and resource type.

Next, you must decide if you want your additional terms to be searched exactly as written.

If you choose “Contains,” your results will include items that have all the words you typed, regardless of the order in which you typed them.

If you choose “Equals,” your results will include items that have the exact term you wrote. Keep in mind that if you choose “Equals,” your terms need to be written exactly the way they are written in the Library. If you do not know how the terms are written in the library, select “Contains.” Please note that exact-term keywords are case-sensitive. The images below show results for the same search terms, but in the first image the terms are not capitalized, and in the second image they are capitalized. 

If you select “Not Contains,” the items in your search results will not include your additional terms. If you select “Not Equals,” the items in your search results will not include the exact term that you typed.

If you would like to apply more than one filter, click the plus sign next to the filter search box. If you want to remove one of your filters, click the minus sign next to it. 

Click “Apply” when you are ready to narrow down your search with your filter(s).

Advanced Search Syntax

• Boolean: Boolean operators are used to connect and define relationships between search terms. When searching the Library’s collections, you can use Boolean operators to either narrow or broaden the search results. The four Boolean operators are AND, OR, NOT, and AND NOT.
• Phrase: To search for an exact phrase, put double quotes around the phrase.
• Wildcard: A search on a single term will not automatically pick up the plural version of the term. Instead, try a wildcard search to get both forms. For example, the search term claimant* will bring back results that include the keywords claimant and claimants. Please note that wildcard searching will not work in a multi-word phrase search. Instead, search each version of the phrase. For example: (“variation within”) OR (“variations within”).
• Proximity: This type of search gives you the ability to specify how close within a record multiple terms should be to each other. For example, the search "Guide Threat Sharing" ~3 will give you results that include items in which the words guide, threat, and sharing are no more than three words apart from each other.
• Combine search types: You also can combine search syntax types to drill down into results.

To submit resources to the Library, you must have a user account. See this page for instructions on how to get one.

Once you have a user account, click on “Menu” and then “Submissions.”

Click on “start a new submission.”

After clicking on “start a new submission,” follow the instructions on the Item Submission page. For more detailed instructions, view the video on that page. If you have any questions, contact a librarian.

Registered users can sign up for daily email alerts on new additions to the Library. You can choose which collections to be updated on, and if items are added to the selected collections, you will receive an email, typically overnight, with a list of the additions from the previous 24 hours.

To add an email alert, click on “Menu” and then “Profile.” 

Scroll down to the “Subscriptions” section. Under “Email Subscriptions,” there is a drop-down menu that contains a list of collections in the library. Select the collection you want to receive alerts on and click “Add.”

If you no longer wish to receive alerts on one or more collections, click on the box next to the collection name in your subscriptions list and click “Remove.”

If you have any questions, contact a librarian.

Registered users can share resources easily through the Library website. To share a resource, you must be logged into your account. Then go to the item that you want to share. Scroll down and click on the envelope icon under the word “Share.”

This will trigger your email client to open and create a ready-to-send email message that contains a link to the resource. From here, you can write an email as you normally would by entering the email addresses of the people you want to send the resource to and sending the email.

Please note that your recipients must be registered with and logged into the Library to be able to access Library resources.

If you have any questions, contact a librarian.

Registered users can bookmark resources for later use. To bookmark a resource, click on the star icon located next to the resource title. The resource is saved to your account when the star is yellow. 

To remove a bookmark, click on the star icon again. The bookmark is removed when the star is white.

To access your bookmarks, click on “Menu” and then “My Bookmarks.” This page contains a list of all of your bookmarked items. From this page, you can visit your bookmarked items by clicking on them, and you can remove bookmarks by clicking on the star icons. 

A glossary of unemployment insurance terms used in the Library can be found here.

If you cannot find the answer to your question below, please contact a librarian.

Q: What is the Knowledge Exchange Library?

A: The Knowledge Exchange Library has been developed by the Unemployment Insurance Integrity Center with assistance from the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) and state sub-committee members. The central purpose of the Library is to provide easy access to resources that will support state Unemployment Insurance (UI) agencies in their efforts to reduce improper payments and fraud. Our vision is to connect our users with ideas, information, and inspiration for new initiatives in program integrity.

Q: What is the Unemployment Insurance Integrity Center?

A: The Unemployment Insurance Integrity Center, a division of the National Association of State Workforce Agencies (NASWA), has been formed in partnership with the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL), Office of Unemployment Insurance, and the New York State Department of Labor to provide innovative tools, training, and support to states in their efforts to reduce improper payments and combat unemployment insurance (UI) fraud. Among other projects, the Center is tasked with maintaining the Knowledge Exchange Library.

Q: What type of content is available in the Library?

A: The Library’s primary purpose is to provide resources specific to unemployment insurance integrity. These resources cover a wide variety of topics, including the following:

• Appeals
• Benefit Fraud
• Guidance and Public Reports
• Misclassification
• News and Media
• Recovery - Benefits Overpayments
• Recovery - Employer Tax Debt

Q: How often is content added to the Library?

A: The Library is updated regularly as staff members identify and approve additions to the Library’s collections.

Q: Why doesn’t the Library contain resources from all of the states?

A: The Library contains resources from states that have given express permission to host or link to the resources. Click here to view a current list of states that have and have not responded to the Library’s request for permission. If your state would like to grant the Library permission to host or link to state-specific information, please contact a librarian.

Q: What are the benefits of having an account with the Knowledge Exchange Library?

A: Registered Library users can:

• Save bookmarked resources for later use.
• Share resources easily with other registered users.
• Submit resources for inclusion in the Library.
• Subscribe to email alerts for new additions to the Library.