The
Library Survival Kit

Questions?                                       2

Finding what you need

Step 1                                              3

Step 2                                              4

Step 3                                              5

Using. .

Books                                              6

Newspapers                                     8

Magazines                                        9

Databases                                       10

Internet                                            11
 
 
 
 
 

Librarians are on duty to help you find the information you need. Feel free to ask questions at any time; if we can’t find what you need right away, we’ll take your name and number and get back to you, usually within twenty-four hours.

Librarians are trained in research and locating information. We can assist you in making the most of the library’s resources, tracking down the answer to a trivia question, or getting started on a research paper. If our library doesn’t have the right resource for you, we can borrow books and articles for you from other libraries.

We are happy to help you at any stage of your research. The more we know about what you’re looking for, the better we will be able to help you, so we may ask you some questions about your specific research needs. (See the next page--Three steps to finding what you need--What am I looking for?)

Helping you connect with the information you need is our first priority, and we look forward to working with you.

        You'll do a much better job of finding information if you know what you're looking for. So ask yourself:

How much information do I need?

How recent does it need to be?

Do I need. . .

. . .An overview of a topic?

. . .Specific facts?

. . .Opinions?

Important: Most computer resources don't answer questions. They help you locate a subject so that you can find the answer yourself. So if you want the answer to a question, ask yourself:

        What subject is my question about?

Example: A student typed a question into the library catalog: "Why do men cheat?" She found nothing. Then she thought of subjects for her question. She typed in "infidelity" and found a book about her question; then she tried "men" and "relationships", and found more useful books.
 
 
 
 

      Now that you know what you’re looking for, you need to know what source is likely to have it.

If you want. . . 

An overview, just a page or two of information

           Try. . .an encyclopedia (in regular book form, or online)

Definitions, basic facts, “trivia”-type questions. . .

            Try. . .reference books (ask a librarian how to find books for your question)

In-depth background information

Try. . .books

Current information or opinions

Try. . .magazine/journal articles (search online, or browse the magazine rack)

or. . .Newspaper articles (online)

Detailed information about a specific subject

Try. . .information databases (ask for a list to see if there is a database for your topic)

Pop-culture topics, government information, miscellaneous

Try. . .Internet (ask for handouts on how to get the most out of your search)

                  Once you’ve decided what information you need, and chosen a source that’s likely to have it, you need to know how to use the source to get the information.

 
                    For ideas on getting started, look up your source on the following pages.

Research trails

         * Found a good book or article? The author did some research to write it, and you can find more information
            by  following their trail. Check the bibliography of a book, or the footnotes of an article, to find out
            what sources they used.

Subject headings

           In library catalogs and some databases, each topic has an "official" name called a "subject heading", and you
           can use the subject headings to locate information.

            * Some databases let you do a subject search--you can pick a topic from a list of subject headings, and see
               all the information under that heading.

            * When you find one useful book or article in a database, check to see if it has any subject headings assigned
                to it, then use the subject heading as a keyword to do another search.

             ** In the library catalog, subject headings are at the bottom of the screen for each book.

             ** If you don’t find the subject headings in a database, ask a librarian.
 
 
 

                           * Books are arranged on the shelves by subject. If you want to go right to the shelves
                              and look around, see the Library of Congress subject list on the next page to find
                              out where your subject is shelved.

                           * Some subjects are hard to find by going to the shelves. If you don’t find what you
                              want by browsing, pick up a tip sheet for pointers on using the library catalog.

                           * Reference books are in their own section (near the stairs) and cover all subjects.

                           * Once you find a book, save yourself some time--look in the back for an index, or in
                               the front for a table of contents, to see if the book has the information you want.
 
 
 
 

Today’s

            * Today’s papers are on the rack at the front of the library.

Yesterday’s/last week’s/last month’s

             * Old newspapers (going back about two months) are kept separately, please see a librarian if you need back issues.

Earlier

              * Newspaper articles from the past several years are available online. Ask a librarian about available
                 databases, and pick up a tip sheet for pointers on finding what you need.
 
 
 
 
 

                          * “Periodicals” is another term for “magazines”.

                          * “Journals” usually refers to “serious” magazines, ones that have research articles.
                               Popular magazines (Time, People, Cosmopolitan, etc.) are not usually considered
                               journals.

The latest articles

            * Recent issues of many magazines are available in the racks at the front of the library.

Articles in print

             * Previous issues of many magazines are located upstairs.

Articles in databases

             * A wide range of articles from the past several years are available in online or CD-ROM databases.

             * Some magazine databases cover a variety of magazines. Others cover magazines in a specific field.
                Check the library’s list to see what databases will have articles on your topic.

             * For the best ways to find what you’re looking for, pick up a tip sheet for the database you are using.

             * If the article you find is “full text”, you will be able to read it on the screen, or make a printout.

             * Found out about a great article, but it’s not available in full text? Ask a librarian about getting
                a photocopy from another library.
 
 
 
 

             * Information databases usually focus on a very narrow topic, but have a lot of information about that topic.
                Check the list to see if there is a database for your subject.

             * Each database has its own kinds of keywords and methods of searching. Pick up a tip sheet for the database
                you are using.

             * Many databases will allow complex searching. Ask a librarian about ways to search for the specific
                 information you need.
 
 
 
 

        * Some of the information on the Internet is terrific, but some of it is worthless or wrong. Be skeptical about
           what you read and use. For tips on selecting high- quality information, ask for the library’s evaluation handout.

        * “Surfing” can be time consuming, and may not get the results you need. Ask for handouts on
             effective search tips.

        * Not all information is available on the Internet. Be sure to consider other sources. (See Three steps to finding
           what you need--Step Two: What source do I find it in?
 
 
 
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