Annie Rues ENG 190-13 and 15

There were several questions/comments which I'll try to respond to below. Some of you had similar questions which I've combined into one. In one or two cases, I wasn't entirely sure I understood the question correctly, if so, please let me know (crownrw@slu.edu) and I'll try again.
Ron Crown

How do I use microfilm?

There are microfilm/microfiche readers on the Lower Level of Pius Library (where the current periodicals are) and assistance is available for using them. It is also possible to print/create pdfs from microfilm.

I'm still confused about... (finding an online article, using the databases, etc.) and find the amount of information overwhelming! Everything is too complex!

There were several comments along these lines. It's a natural reaction after you've been presented with so much information. Just remember that it's the reference librarians job to help you dispel some of that confusion.

How do I find an encyclopedia that deals with my topic?

There are so many subject specific encyclopedias available, the best thing to do at this stage is to ask the librarian to help you identify one. Later on, especially in courses for your major, you will want to become familiar with the basic reference sources in that subject.

Why not combine all database, online, offline and at other libraries, into one easy-to-use search engine (like Google)?

Such systems exist, at least in rudimentary form, already. The problem with such "federated search engines" (as librarians call them) is that, as with Google, you lose the ability to focus your search either by limiting to a database that indexes journals in a specific subject or you lose the ability to use subject indexing (subject headings) because the indexing terms used can vary considerably from one database to the next. Searching across all databases at once may seem to simplify things but can actually make things more complicated.

Having said that, many database vendors make it possible to search across all the databases (and only the databases) provided by that vendor. If you go to the list of databases by vendor on the library web page and click on the name of the vendor, the first item in the list you retrieve will be "All [name of vendor] Databases" for those vendors who offer this feature. Note that there are several vendors which do not provide this capability.

Using interlibrary loan is still unclear to me.

The first step is to create your ILLiad account by going to the interlibrary loan login screen and clicking on the "First-time Users" link and completing the online form. Once you've done that, it's simply a matter of logging into to your account in choosing the appropriate request form depending on whether you want a book, a book chapter, a photocopy (of a journal article), or a dissertation or thesis.

Naturally, you can always stop by the reference desk, call (977-3103) or e-mail a reference librarian for help.

How do I completely narrow down a search?

I assume you're asking about narrowing a search which results in a greater number of "hits" than you want to look through.

It's hard to give a good answer to this one because a lot depends on the particular search you are doing. In general, you can narrow a search in several ways; by adding additional search terms, limiting by date of publication or language, or some other parameter. Sometimes, the search terms you are using may be too broad or vague for the subject you actually want to search.

If you are stuck with a large number of "hits" and aren't sure what to do next, it's best to consult with the reference librarian.

Why does the library use Library of Congress classification instead of Dewey Decimal classification?

LC classification is common in very large libraries because it offers the potential for more subject classifications (26 letters in the alphabet) than Dewey Decimal (basically 10 "slots" for subject categorization (001-99, 100-199, 200-299, etc. up to 900-999). Dewey Decimal is usually (although not always) found in smaller libraries.

Physically locating a book in the library is still a little unclear.

Once you have the call number for a book, use the Location Guide to identify where the book is shelved in the library.

For example, a call number that begins with C200 will fall in the range BX4800-DX9999 on the Location Guide and is therefore shelved in Lewis Annex Level 4; a PS374 call number falls between PR 2894 .H and PZ and so is shelved on Level 4 East of Pius Library and so on.

How do I get to the index of a book online?

I assume you are asking about searching in an encyclopedia index such as I demonstrated during the class session. (If that's not correct, please let me know).

The main collection of encyclopedias that offers the capability of searching the same index that appears in the printed encyclopedia is the Gale Virtual Reference Library (accessible in the "Choose a Database A-J" menu in Databases page, also listed under the link for Encyclopedias/Dictionaries/Thesauri on the same page).

To view the index for an encyclopedia, you will need to select a specific encyclopedia title from the "Basic Search" screen and on the initial page for that title, there will be an "eBook Index" link.