SLU Libraries English 190/192 Blog

Blog Content Moving to LibAnswers

2011-01-10T11:15:00.003-06:00

As of January 2011, the SLU Libraries English 190/192 blog will no longer be updated. Pius Library Reference Librarians will respond to student questions via our new LibAnswers FAQ Web site. Please check it out and submit any questions that you have!

Jamie Schmid

Hancock - ENG 190 Sections 08, 24 and 26

2010-11-15T12:27:00.010-06:00

Hi Kami Hancock's ENG 190 sections 08, 24, and 26. Thanks for submitting questions at the end of the library sessions last week (11/11 and 11.12). Hopefully the following posts answer your queries. If not, please remember I am happy to meet with you in-person, by phone (314-977-3596), email, or chat.

Q1. How do I find good medical databases?
A1. I would look at the "Browse Databases by Subject" page and click on the "Health & Medicine" link. There are over 60 health and medicine databases listed. Click on the white question mark to open a window that contains a description of the database. Some of the primary medicine databases are MEDLINE, MD Consult, Pub Med, and Scopus.Q2. How do I find good business databases?
A2. Hmmm, that question sounds familiar. I would look at the "Browse Databases by Subject" page and click on "Business" link. There are over 40 business databases listed. Click on the white question mark to open a window that contains a description of the database. Some of the primary business databases include: ABI/Inform, Business Source Premier, Business and Company Resource Center, and Mintel Reports.

Q3. The "Find It @ SLU" button does not always find the full text of the article. What do I do then?
A4. There are three steps listed in the article linker page that appears when you click on the "Find It @ SLU" button. The following video illustrates the steps. http://www.screencast.com/users/SLUjing/folders/Jing/media/02ede139-e53b-4306-a6fa-9f1e6a8a7aa5

Q5. What do you do if you search keywords in a database and get no results even after altering your search?
A5. It is frustrating to search and get few or no results. There are a couple of strategies you can use to increase your searching success. Try using as many synonyms including broader terms for your topic and nest them with the Boolean operator "OR", ex. " wages or salaries or earnings or pay ". Try using truncation to catch all possible forms of a term, ex. "salar*". The truncation symbol is typically an asterisk. Try searching more than one database. The "Browse Databases by Subject" page is a good place to start. And of course another strategy is to find a librarian and have a chat. I am happy to meet with you and discuss your searching options. You can always contact a librarian using the "Ask a Librarian" link on the library portal.

Q6. What is the difference between the SLU Catalog and the online databases?
Q6. The SLU Catalog is a database of the library holdings, i.e. books, journal titles, microfilm, maps, microfiche, media materials, and other materials. The online journal databases index the articles in the journal titles found in the SLU Catalog. So if you need books, the best place to search is the SLU Catalog. If you need journal articles, book chapters, essays, reviews, and newspaper articles, use the online databases.

Well, that's it - all the questions. If you have more questions, please let me know. Happy searching!
Martha

Stabile - ENG 190 Sections 25 and 27

2010-11-15T09:10:00.019-06:00

Hi Students from Paul Stabile's English 190 classes, sections 25 and 27. Below are answers to the one-minute questions you asked at the end of the formal library session on November 9th. I hope the answers are useful but remember I am always available via phone (314-977-3596), email, chat, and in-person!
-Martha

Q1. How to I obtain magazines from the online databases?
A1. The "Find It @ SLU" button searches for the full text of journal articles. The following video tutorial outlines the process. http://screencast.com/t/qSCbJljgyX . Remember, not everything is full text online. You may have to use a print copy from our vast collection of print journals, or request a copy using ILLiad, the library's interlibrary loan service.

Q2. I am not sure if I need to make a new Interlibrary Loan login name?
A2. To request materials using ILLiad, you need to have an account. To create an account, please click here. If you can not remember if you have an account or not, please contact the ILLiad office at 314-977-3107 or email them at piusill@slu.edu.

Q3. How long will I wait for an off-campus resource?
A3. It depends. If a MOBIUS loan is available it can take as little as 48 hours to as long as a week. If you need a MOBIUS title immediately and you have transportation, do not request the title online but drive to the library with the desired title and use you SLU ID card to check-out the book. The turn around time for an ILLiad request varies as well. I have had ILLiad requests filled in less than 24 hours and as long as a week. The difference in turn around time depends on the efficiency of the lending library.

Q4. There are many databases which I am still unfamiliar with.
A4. The library currently has access to over 250+ general and specialized databases. That is a lot of information and a lot of different interfaces to review. Use the " Browse Databases by Subject" page to find a subject heading related to your research topic. Click on the white question mark to the left of the database name to look at a description of the database. And REMEMBER you can always "Ask a Librarian" for help!

Q5. Where do I pick-up the books I order online?
A5. The Access Services desk is to the right of the entrance of the library. You can pick-up MOBIUS loans and interlibrary loan materials at this location. The library will email you when the materials are ready for pick-up. The Access Services desk also houses the Lost and Found and is the place to check-out a study room key and the new service - laptop check-out!

Q6. I still do not really know how to use the "Browse Databases by Subject" page.
A6. The following video will illustrate the steps to use the "Browse Databases by Subject" page. If you have additional questions, please call me at 314-977-3596 or email me at allenmh@slu.edu. Click for video.

Happy searching and remember to contact me if you have any questions!

Jon Lux - English 190 - Section 17

2010-11-09T14:56:00.006-06:00

Hi Everyone,

I’ve posted on this blog my responses to the questions some of you posed on the one-minute papers during our library session. If you have questions about any of this information, or need assistance with your research assignment, please feel free to contact me (977-3584; josephme@slu.edu).

Dr. Joseph
***********

1. How do I find the location of a book by a call number?

After you’ve used the SLU Libraries Catalog to find books on your topic, if the books are housed in Pius Library you just look at a Location Guide (http://libraries.slu.edu/about/locatgde.html) to find out where the book is shelved. Let’s say you’re interested in a book on the history of social psychology with the call number of HM 1011 .B73 2004. Looking at the Location Guide, you see that the letters that begin the call number, HM, fall in the range HF-HX on the Guide. The location of these books is Level 2 North. For help “reading” Library of Congress call numbers on books on the library shelves, see http://libraries.slu.edu/help/howdoi/loc.html.

Remember that the Library of Congress Classification System organizes call numbers by subject area (see http://www.loc.gov/catdir/cpso/lcco/). So when you go to the shelves to find a book, you might look at the other books shelved close by because they will be on the same or a related topic.

2. How do you go through the actual checkout process and how much time do you have with an article before it’s due? How many books are you able to check out and for how long? How much are book late fees?

The checkout process is just for books. Print or microfilmed journals and other periodicals cannot be removed from the library. Instead you can (a) make photocopies of articles using Billiken Bucks on your ID card; (b) scan the articles on to your personal flash drive; or (c) scan it and email it using a library computer or your personal laptop.

Back to borrowing books…You just bring the book(s) you want to borrow and your SLU ID card to the Circulation Desk on Level 1, across from Café Libros. The staff will check the book(s) out to you. Pius Library’s circulation policy is posted at http://libraries.slu.edu/about/policies/circ/index.html. As you’ll see, the loan periods are longer and more liberal for SLU-owned books than for books we borrow from MOBIUS on your behalf. For example, undergraduates may borrow an unlimited number of books for three weeks and have unlimited renewals unless somebody else needs them. MOBIUS, on the other hand, also has three-week loan periods but limits the number of books that can be checked out at one time at 20 and also limits the renewals to two.

You might also notice that MOBIUS fines are steeper than SLU’s fines (remember, those aren’t SLU books!). While it’s never a good thing to have overdue books (if you have library fines outstanding, you won’t be able to check out any more books at SLU or through MOBIUS until you’ve paid them), take extra care to be sure books borrowed through MOBIUS or regular Interlibrary Loan’s ILLiad serve are returned on time!

3. When should I use ILLiad or other borrowing type resources?

The answer depends on the situation. Let’s say you’re using the SLU Libraries Catalog and find that Pius has a book you want but the book is checked out. In this case, the next thing to do is search the MOBIUS Catalog to see if another MO academic library has the book available. If so, just request the book through MOBIUS. But if the book is not available through MOBIUS, use traditional Interlibrary Loan’s ILLiad system to request it. Books borrowed through MOBIUS typically take 2-4 business days to arrive at Pius. Books obtained through ILLiad can take as long as 14 business days to get here, although the wait is usually shorter (these must go through the US mail). Plan accordingly!

4. Where do we pick up the books we receive through ILLiad?

All books borrowed for your use from other libraries will be held for you at the Circulation Desk. When the book is first delivered to Pius, we’ll send an email “pickup” notice to your SLU email address to alert you that it’s here. Be sure to pick it up and check it out by the date on the notice or we’ll assume you don’t need it any longer and send it back right after that date.

5. Do you get to check out journal articles or do you only get copies?

As noted in #2 above, journals and other periodicals may not be checked out. Instead you can (a) make photocopies of articles using Billiken Bucks on your ID card; (b) scan the articles on to your personal flash drive; or (c) scan it and email it using a library computer or your personal laptop. You then own these files.

You also own articles obtained for you by the library. Remember that if you need articles in periodicals and journals not owned by SLU, or if we have the print volumes but those are shelved in the Locust Street Library Facility (LSLF), you use ILLiad to make a request for a “photocopy.” These days, just about all articles we get from other libraries are scanned as PDFs and emailed; the same is true with articles obtained from the LSLF. MOBIUS is not used to request articles. Scanned articles from the SLU LSLF usually arrive in 1-3 business days. Scanned articles requested from other libraries may take 7 business days to arrive, although the wait is usually shorter.

6. Which titles are actually the database titles?

I’m assuming this question refers to the distinction between databases and the platforms on which they are offered. Take a look at the SLU Databases page: http://libraries.slu.edu/databases/databases.php. When you open and select from either of the “Choose a Database” boxes (A-J or K-Z), you will be logged in to the specific database you chose. When you click on the “A to Z Databases List,” or on links under the headings “Databases by Subject” or “Databases by Type,” the lists that display are those of specific database titles. If you click on the information button to the left of the database name, a description of the database will open. The word “Provider” at the top of the description refers to the company/platform that hosts that database subscription. For example, our subscription to the Academic Search Premier database is on the EBSCOhost platform offered by the EBSCO company.

Toward the bottom of the Databases page you’ll see a section “Databases by Vendor.” Here the word “vendor” refers to the database platform/company. Click on any of the vendor name links to see a list of the specific databases the SLU Libraries currently get from that vendor.

Why is this distinction important? Well, if you tell me that you used Ovid, I immediately know something about how that company’s databases appear and how its navigation works. But if you tell me the name of a specific database, I not only know how it looks and works generally, but I probably know something about special features it may have that are unique to that database – so, in effect, the database name provides librarians with a little more information that can help us help students better.

7. How do I know what databases to use to search a particular topic?

As noted in #6 above, you can identify databases in various subject areas from the Databases page (http://libraries.slu.edu/databases/databases.php). Remember those database descriptions? Especially within each subject category or the list of “Databases by Type,” click on the information button to the left of the database name to view a brief description of the database. This is the first step in deciding whether a particular database might be helpful. Based upon the database description about the coverage of the database, you should be able to make a reasoned decision about whether the database might be suitable for your particular topic. The next step is to actually search the database for information on your topic because that’s the only way you’ll know for sure.

8. How can I make my search specific so that I don’t have to sift through hundreds of articles?

Chances are you’ll still have to do some sifting, but you often can narrow or focus your search to make the sifting more manageable. There are many approaches you can use to narrow a database search; some of them are dependent upon the features of the specific database. For example, in PsycINFO, you can “limit” your search results by chronological age group, whereas in ERIC (education), you can “limit” your results by education level.

Here are the most common approaches you can use in most, if not all, databases:

· Make sure your search includes at least two subject concepts that you can combine using the Boolean operator “and” (which narrows a search).

· Limit your search by the language of the publication.

· Limit your search by publication date.

· Limit your search by the type of publication (e.g., Scholarly/Peer Reviewed/Academic Journals vs Magazines)

9. How do you know if every site is valid?

I’m interpreting this question to refer to Web sites. The short answer is…every site is not valid. But it’s up to you, as the researcher, to evaluate Web sites that turn up in your searches and decide their validity and usefulness for yourself. The Research Guide for your class (http://libguides.slu.edu/english190-17) has a tab for “Web Sites.” On that page, you’ll see links to several recommended web site evaluation criteria. Any of them will be helpful. Just keep these major criteria in mind when viewing Web sites: Accuracy, Authority, Objectivity, Currency, and Coverage. The New Mexico State University site provides a nice overview to help you think about these criteria.

Debra Cochran - English 190 - Section 16

2010-11-08T01:01:00.009-06:00

Hi Everyone,

On this blog I've posted responses to the questions some of you posed on the one-minute papers during our library session. If you have questions about any of this information, or need assistance with your research assignment, please feel free to contact me (977-3584; josephme@slu.edu).

Dr. Joseph
***********

1. How do I set up my account on the SLU Libraries web site?

A Library Account allows you to, among other things, view your circulation record (books checked out, requested, overdue and fines), renew books, place holds on books, change your library password, and even create a personal reading history of books you've checked out previously and returned. Setting up your Library Account is easy. On the SLU Libraries home page (http://libraries.slu.edu/), under the FIND A BOOK heading, you'll see a link to "Renew Books" (Library Account); click on that link. Just follow the instructions on the page, i.e.,

Type in your 9-digit Banner ID (including all leading zeroes) and click on the "Submit" button
On the next screen, type in your pin number twice—per the instructions on the page, it should be a combination of 4-6 letters and numbers (and it’s case sensitive!).
Click the "Submit" button and your record should display.

A very important thing to remember when you use your Library Account -- Be sure to click on the "Log Out" button in the top right corner of the page when you finish, especially if you're working at a public computer!!

2. How might Libguides be useful to me?

“Libguides” is the product name of research guides prepared by SLU reference librarians, who also are subject specialists. The home page for the Research Guides is http://libguides.slu.edu/. Browse the subject list on the left side. There are guides for many different subject areas and sometimes for specific courses (i.e., Course-Specific Guides). These guides will identify key subject resources both in the SLU Libraries and on the Web, so they can help you get started with your research papers and other course assignments. Of course, if you have questions about specific sources (including databases), you should consult directly with a reference librarian; see http://libraries.slu.edu/chat/index.html for ways in which to reach a librarian.

3. How can I find and use online encyclopedias?

Encyclopedias, regardless of format, are great background sources of information. They also can help you focus your topic so it’s more manageable. Please remember that Pius Library also has excellent encyclopedias that are not available electronically!

There are a number of ways you can search for online encyclopedias:

Via the SLU Libraries Catalog, by Author, Title, Keyword, or Subject (Catalog searches are not case sensitive)

EX: Title: encyclopedia of sociology -- Look through the catalog records to see if [electronic resource] appears near the end of the title in any of the search results.

EX: Keyword: encyclopedia AND sociology -- To focus the search to retrieve online encyclopedias, search "encyclopedia AND sociology AND electronic resource"

EX: Subject: sociology - encyclopedias -- Look through the catalog records to see if [electronic resource] appears near the end of the title in any of the search results.

Once you are viewing a specific encyclopedia, it’s usually a good idea to use the Index to find articles on your topic. Sometimes these might be major articles on the topic, but sometimes information about one topic is embedded in the discussion of another topic. (For example, you consult an encyclopedia about dogs to find information about Great Danes. But there’s not a standalone article about them. Instead, looking up “Great Danes” in the Index leads to information about them in the major article on “Working Dogs.")

Via the SLU Library Databases page, by collection. Go to the section “Databases by Type” and click on the link for “Encyclopedias/Dictionaries/Thesauri.” Here are some of the major collections of reference books, including encyclopedias:

o Gale Virtual Reference Library (GVRL)

o Oxford Reference Online

o Sage eReference Encyclopedias

o ScienceDirect Encyclopedias

Each collection can be searched or browsed on its own, plus you also can search within a particular title in the collection. Exactly how you do this will depend upon how the collection is organized. Just pay attention to the instructions or cues on the database screen.

4. How do I maneuver between different databases?

Most database platforms (e.g., CSA, EBSCOHost) allow you to change from one database on their product platform to another without leaving the platform. However, it’s probably easiest for you to return to the SLU Libraries Databases page (http://libraries.slu.edu/databases/databases.php) after you leave one database (always clicking the “Logout” or “Exit” button if one exists) and then choose another to continue searching.

5. How do I use different databases? What’s the difference between keyword and subject searching?

The two major ways to search most library databases are by keyword and subject. All databases support keyword searching, in which you type a single-word or multi-word term and the database matches that particular character string. Keyword searches do find records about the topic represented by that character string, but frequently also find records that only mention the subject represented by that particular combination of letters. Thus keyword searches often are not very efficient. On the other hand, subject searches use the official vocabulary developed for a database, typically found in a thesaurus of subject terms or under a “Subject” or “Subject Terms” tab. When terms from this vocabulary are entered into a search in the way the database recognizes them as subjects, the database will find records that really are about that topic (vs. just mentioning it in passing).

6. How do I find online journals provided by the SLU Libraries? And how do I access full-text of articles if they are not immediately available in a database?

Please remember that most journals will NOT be available online and that print volumes are full-text, too! Now, to reiterate the information provided on the outline handout distributed in the library session:

If you're not actively searching a database and are working, instead, from a printed list of references, do this:

(a) First check the SLU E-Journal Portal to find out if SLU provides access to the online full-text of the journal volume you need. You get to the Portal from the Libraries home page (http://libraries.slu.edu). Just under the FIND AN ARTICLE heading, click on the link "Search for Online Journals, Magazines, or Newspapers." On the Portal screen type in the title of the journal (not the article!) that you need.

(b) If the journal volume you need is not online, perform a "Journal, Magazine, Newspaper Title" search in the SLU Libraries Catalog to see if Pius Library subscribes in print or microform formats (sometimes--but not always--you'll see links to online full-text as well.) You may find that SLU owns the volume you need in print format, but that it is at the Locust Street Library Facility (LSLF), where lesser-used materials are stored. If that's the case, submit a request for the specific article through Interlibrary Loan's (ILL) ILLiad system (more about this below). Within 24-48 hours (Monday-Friday), the article will be scanned and posted electronically. ILL staff will notify you via email that the article is available and you can login to your ILLiad account to view/print/download it.

If you are working in a library database, there's an embedded feature that will help you identify full-text articles online if they are not contained in the database you are using. Click on the “Find It @ SLU” icon to open the feature known as Article Linker, embedded within most database search results, to determine the best available path to the periodical content. It will link you to (Step 1) the full-text of the article in another database (if available); (Step 2) the SLU Libraries Catalog record for the publication; and (Step 3) to Interlibrary Loan's ILLiad system. For the Article Linker FAQ, see http://libraries.slu.edu/help/artlink/alfaq.html.

Now, about ILL's ILLiad service. It can be used to request books that are unavailable from SLU or MOBIUS libraries (remember MOBIUS is our statewide system). And it can be used to request periodical articles both from the SLU LSLF as well as other libraries across the country if SLU doesn't have what you need. From the Interlibrary Loan main page (http://libraries.slu.edu/services/ill.html), you'll first need to set up a personalized account by going to the ILLiad page for your "home" SLU library, i.e., Pius Library if your major is hosted by a department on the Frost Campus or if you are undeclared, and the Medical Center Library if your major is hosted by a department on the Medical Center campus. For journal article requests, after you log in to ILLiad using your personal account information, select the "Photocopy" option to make your request.

Kelli Bell English 190 Fall 2010

2010-11-05T11:29:00.002-05:00

Thanks for visiting the library last Wednesday. Here are my responses to the questions you still had at the end of class. Please don't hesitate to email me for further help. Good luck with your research.

Jane Gillespie gillesj@slu.edu

I’m still confused about ILLIAD (Interlibrary Loan). Can you explain it again?

If the library doesn’t have an article you need you can request it through ILLIAD. The first step is to create an account. This involves filling out a form with your information and creating a user name and password for the ILLIAD system. Here is the link http://illiad.slu.edu/illiad/xii/logon.html

If you are requesting an article, click on the “request a photocopy” button. Fill out the information about the article, journal name, article titles etc and click submit. It usually takes 1-3 days for your request to be fulfilled. An email will be sent to the email address you provided in your user profile with a link to a pdf of the article you requested.

You can also use ILL to request a book if no one in the statewide MOBIUS system owns it.

Is full text available for all results from a database search? How do I find full text if it is not available in the database?

Sometimes there is full text “embedded’ in the database which is very convenient. The database we used in class, Academic Search Premier, has a lot of full text embedded. If the full text is embedded, you see a link labeled pdf or HTML full text right below the abstract in the results set. If the full text is not embedded into the database you will see the “Find it at SLU” button. Clicking on the “Find it at SLU” button brings you to the Article Linker page. If full text is available, you will see a link to the article on this page. If the full text is not available online, we may have it in print. Follow directions on the Article Linker page. If the full text is not available, you can request it through Interlibrary loan.

What is the best database to use?

It depends on what kind of sources you need and the nature of your topic. If you are not sure what to use, ask a librarian for a recommendation.

What are some other databases for different subjects?

Here is a list of databases by subject. http://libraries.slu.edu/databases/databases.php

What days do liaison librarians work?

Since liaisons work some nights and weekends at the reference desk and teach some library instruction classes in the evening, our schedule varies but we are usually here between 8:30-5 on weekdays.

Liaison librarians are happy to work individually with students. Send an email to the librarian and let him/her know when you are available. Here is a list of liaison librarians and their departments. http://libraries.slu.edu/about/directory/libnsnew.html. Also you can ask for the business card of a liaison librarian at the reference desk.

How many books does the library own?

About 1.8 million!

Sarah Schwab - ENGL190 - Section 22 - Fall 2010

2010-11-03T16:10:00.004-05:00

Hi everyone! Here are my responses to the questions you submitted after our library research class on October 28. I'll do my best to explain things, but if you still have questions, please email me and/or post a comment below. -- Jamie Schmid (Your ENGL-190 Librarian)

I'm unclear on "how to access all the places to get info."

You can access many great resources via our Freshman Writing Program Research Guide which we used in our library class. You can also access all of the library's resources via the SLU Libraries Web site. You'll want to focus on a few areas - the Finding Books section, the Finding Articles section, and the gold Research tab at the top of the page. If you have any questions about finding a specific resource or type of resource, please email me and let me know.

"What if you can't find a book?"
AND
"Actually going to find the book is the only thing we haven't done so maybe doing that would help."

It can be challenging to navigate a large library. Please let library staff members know if you're having trouble finding anything. We're happy to help! You can also go to the Reference Desk on the 1st floor if you have any questions.

I'd also recommend that you take a look at this site which covers how to read call numbers in an academic library. This Library of Congress classification guide will also show you how the collection is arranged by subject and these subjects are represented by different letters. This Pius Library location guide will provide information about which call numbers are located on which floors.

"The most unclear thing was how to access ALL of the databases. However, it is useful that a few have been picked out (i.e. Academic Search Premier, LexisNexis, etc.) for us to easily access."

A complete list of all of the library's databases can be found on the SLU Libraries Web site database page. It's accessible from the gold Research tab at the top of each page of the SLU Libraries Web site.

I'm unclear on "how to really narrow down our topic to find enough sources."

Actually, if you're having trouble finding enough sources, you may need to broaden your topic and searches. For example, instead of doing a search for "videogames and violence and teenagers", you could simply search for "videogames." You'll also want to remove any limits that you've placed on your search (like date, publication type, etc.) You may also need to try to think of your topic more broadly. For example, instead of looking for articles about Lady Gaga, you could look for articles about our country's obsession with celebrity, the cult of celebrity, etc.

"Do we search generally in order to find our specific thesis?"

Please see my response to the question above. Yes, sometimes you do need to search more generally or broadly to find information on your topic.

I'm unclear on "finding articles that are not in Pius Library but in storage."

You can request request individual articles via a link in the catalog record that says "SLU Patrons Request Digital Article via ILLiad Document Delivery Service." You can also request journal volumes from the Locust Street Library Facility via the library catalog by clicking on the REQUEST button. See this screen capture for the locations of these options in the library catalog.

"I'm still a little confused about how to find articles in Pius Library/scholarly journals."

Multidisciplinary databases like Academic Search Premier can be helpful when looking for articles on almost any topic. You can limit your search results in this database to scholarly journal articles by clicking on the Academic Journals link on the left side of your results page. Another option is to search a subject specific database. To select one, think about what academic discipline would be interested in your research topic. Once you've identified a discipline, you can then find a database that indexes the literature of that discipline. I've included a list of some recommended databases by subject on the Freshman Writing Program Research Guide (under the Articles tab). You can look at all of our library databases by subject on this page. Finally, if you need a recommendation for a database to search, please email me and let me know. I'm happy to help.

"Some of the databases are confusing in that when you click on an article, it's difficult to get past the information page and actually open it."

Many databases will include a link to a pdf and/or html full text for most articles. If the pdf or html full text is not readily available, you can use the FIND IT @ SLU button to see if an article is available in another database or in print in the library. If it's available online, you can click on the "article" link that's listed under Step 1. Every database has a different interface though, so it can take practice to navigate them and find the full text articles that you need.

I hope this blog post helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I'm happy to help you! -- Jamie

Sarah Schwab - ENGL190 - Section 19 - Fall 2010

2010-11-03T14:57:00.006-05:00

Hi everyone! Here are my responses to the questions you submitted after our library research class on October 28. I'll do my best to explain things, but if you still have questions, please email me and/or post a comment below. -- Jamie Schmid (Your ENGL-190 Librarian)

"What kind of material is in the Locust Street Facility"

The Locust Street Library Facility houses lesser-used materials from Pius Library, the Medical Center Library, and the Law Library. These materials include bound journals/periodicals published before the year 2000, bound journals/periodicals that we don't have current subscriptions to, government documents, archival materials, legal treatises, and SLU theses and dissertations.

I'm still unclear on "which databases work best for the different types of searches."

Keyword searches can be used in any library database and subject searches can be used in the vast majority of them. I'm wondering though, do you really want to know which databases work best for research in different subject areas? If so, please see my response to the following question.

"How do you know which database to use?"
AND
I'm unclear on "how to pick a general topic to start my search in ---> is it healthcare, medicine, etc.?" (I'm assuming that you are wondering which database to use to start your research. If this isn't the case, please email me and let me know.)

Multidisciplinary databases like Academic Search Premier can be helpful when looking for articles on almost any topic. Otherwise, you need to think about what academic discipline would be interested in your research topic. Once you've identified a discipline, you can then find a database that indexes the literature of that discipline. I've included a list of some recommended databases by subject on the Freshman Writing Program Research Guide (under the Articles tab). You can look at all of our library databases by subject on this page. Finally, if you need a recommendation for a database to search, please email me and let me know. I'm happy to help.

I'm still unclear on how to "generalize a topic."

If you aren't getting very many results when searching the SLU Libraries Catalog or library databases, you may need to broaden your search. For example, instead of doing a search for "videogames and violence and teenagers", you could simply search for "videogames." You'll also want to remove any limits that you've placed on your search (like date, publication type, etc.) You may also need to try to think of your topic more broadly. For example, instead of looking for articles about Lady Gaga, you could look for articles about our country's obsession with celebrity, the cult of celebrity, etc.

"How does MOBIUS contact you?"

When a book that you've ordered via MOBIUS comes in, staff at Pius Library will notify you at your SLU email address.

"I still am a little unclear on how to locate periodicals in the library."

Here are instructions for finding a specific article in a print periodical (or journal) in the library.

1. Search by journal title in the SLU Libraries Catalog.
2. If you find a print journal record (it won't say "online" after the title), check to see which library has the journal, what dates are available, what the call number is, and which floor it's located on. (Click on the link under "Location", not the call number link.)
3. Go find the journal on the shelf. Find the volume you need, then the issue, then the right page number.
4. Photocopy the article, because journals can't be checked out of the library.

If you're using a database to find articles on a topic and an online version is not readily available, you can click on the FIND IT AT SLU button. It will bring up an Article Linker page, which will tell you if the article is available online in any SLU database. If it's not available online, go down to Step 2 on this page and click on the Journal Title link. It will do a journal title search in the catalog for you, and you can follow the same process detailed above.

I'm still unclear on "viewing journals online."

Many databases will include a link to a pdf and/or html full text for most articles. If the pdf or html full text is not readily available, you can use the FIND IT @ SLU button to see if an article is available in another database or in print in the library. If it's available online, you can click on the "article" link that's listed under Step 1.

"How can you find out the different ratings and credibility on an article."

There aren't any ratings available for articles in library databases. As for credibility, you'll need to consider the source that the article was published in. Is it in a scholarly journal (as opposed to a popular magazine)? See this video for information about differentiating between these two types of sources. Articles in scholarly journals are more credible. If you're looking at newspaper articles, you'll want to select articles from well known, major, established papers such as the New York Time and Washington post (as opposed to small, regional papers or more popular newspapers such as USA Today).

I hope this blog post helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I'm happy to help you! -- Jamie

Nolan - ENG 190-07 - Fall 2010

2010-11-02T08:54:00.023-05:00

Hi English 190ers from Ms. Nolan' class. Below are answers to the questions from the one-minute papers you completed at the end of the class. Please remember I am available for one on one meetings or you can contact me by email (allenmh@slu.edu), phone 314-977-3103, and/or chat http://libraries.slu.edu/chat/index.html.

Q1 - Where are the dvds?
A1 - The DVD’s are located on the lower level of Pius. They are arranged by call number. If you
want to check one out just bring the case to the Circulation Desk and someone will retrieve the actual disk.

Q2 - Where are the vinyl records?
A2 - Sorry we no longer have vinyl records in the collection.

Q3 - How do I borrow a book from another library.
A3 - MOBIUS is a statewide consortium that shares the holdings of most academic libraries and a couple of large public in Missouri. The following video outlines the process to request a book from the MOBIUS system.
http://www.screencast.com/t/WsuhtSKF

Q4 - I would like to know all the floor's purposes?
A4 - Pius XII Memorial Library is indeed an exciting and wonderful place. Here is a quick review of the public spaces on the floors in Pius:
Lower Level - Media, Current Periodicals, Microfilm, Microfilm Readers (2), Curriculum Collection, Student Staffed Help Desk, Restrooms
First Floor - Access Services Desk, Argo Tea Cafe, iCommons, Reference Desk, Reference Offices, Knights Room, Vatican Film Library, Restrooms
Second Floor - General circulating collection, Entrance to the Lewis Annex, Administrative offices, Reference Librarian Office, Reinert Center for Teaching Excellence, Quiet Study Area, Restrooms
Third Floor - Reference Librarian Offices, Special Collections, Restrooms, Writing Center, Testing Center
Fourth Floor - General circulating collection, Group Study Rooms, Restrooms
Fifth Floor - General circulating collection, Group Study Rooms, Restrooms
For a more complete library tour, please see the online tour at the following link: http://libraries.slu.edu/help/tour/index.html

Q5 - How do I find the online text of an article?
Q6 - The "Find It @ SLU" button searches for the full text of journal articles. The following video tutorial outlines the process. http://screencast.com/t/qSCbJljgyXl

Q6 - How to email the information to yourself?
A6 - Each database has its own process to email articles so it would be a long, long answer to go over individual email steps for the 250+ databases the library leases. There are similarities among the databases so I am referring you to videos 2 and 3 for specific instructions. The videos are listed in the right-hand margin.

Q7 - Citing through the web cite?
A7 - Like the answer to the question above, individual databases have their own citation creation tool (if they have one at all - some do not have a citation creation tool). Please refer to videos 3 and 4 for on online video tutorial.

Q8 - How can I use a part of book for research so I don't have to read all of it?
A8 - You can use book chapters, tables, or specific quotes and/or paragraphs from books. To determine if the book may be useful to your research check the table of contents in the beginning of the book or the index found in the back of the book. The following video shows how you can view the table of contents of books using the Saint Louis University Libraries Catalog.
http://www.screencast.com/users/SLUjing/folders/Jing/media/e16d15ff-eb07-4ca7-ad6a-fcffd30cb7ae

Mathews Eng 190 Fall 2010

2010-10-28T13:30:00.003-05:00

Here are the answers to questions you submitted at the end of your library session last Tuesday.

Please don't hesitate to contact me directly with more questions. My email is gillesj@slu.edu. Good luck with your research. --Jane Gillespie

Where is my hard shell glasses case with the silver and black diamond design??

No one submitted this question but someone is probably wondering where it is since you left it in the library classroom last Tuesday. I dropped it off in the library Lost and Found which is located at the circulation desk.

How long is checkout period for a book?

Loan period for undergraduates is 21 day. You can renew an unlimited number of times.

You can renew books online. Go to “My library account” on the upper left hand side of the Pius library home page (libraries.slu.edu). The first time you use this system you will create a PIN for you library account.

Where are movies located?

Our DVD’s are located on the lower level of Pius. They are arranged by call number. If you want to check one out just bring the case to the Circulation Desk and someone will retrieve the actual disk.

How do you physically find a book in the library?

Use the catalog to find the call number for the book. Then use the location guide (http://libraries.slu.edu/about/locatgde.html) to see where that call number is located in the library.

Circulating books (available for check out) are shelved in Lewis Annex 1-4 and Pius Level 2, 4 and 5.

Go to the right part of the library then look at the white labels on the end of each shelf to find the call number range that contains the call number for the book you are looking for.

Remember to ask at the reference desk if you can’t find the book you are looking for.

What is in Lewis Annex?

Lewis Annex has some study tables and books with call numbers A-DX9999. Lewis Annex started out as a separate building. It was connected to the main part of Pius Library in the mid eighties. You enter Lewis Annex from the second floor of Pius Library. Due to the building configuration you will be on the fourth (top) floor of Lewis Annex. An elevator for Lewis Annex is right in front of you. Use this to access floors 1-3 of Lewis Annex.

How can I choose which database to use?

We have a list of databases by subject (http://libraries.slu.edu/databases/databases.php). You can also ask one of the reference librarians to recommend a database.

How does the Library of Congress organization system work?

Books are assigned a call number based on the subject of the book. For example the call numbers for books about science start with a “Q”. You can learn more about call numbers here

http://www.loc.gov/catdir/cpso/lcco/

How do we find fiction books in Pius Library?

Public libraries separate fiction books from nonfiction books. Fiction books are organized by author’s last name while nonfiction are organized by the Dewey Decimal system. At Pius Library every book (including fiction) is organized by the Library of Congress call number system. The call number for American literature starts with PS and the call number for English literature starts with PR. These books are on the fourth floor of Pius Library.

Is there a more direct way (than the Freshman Writing Library Guide) to access library resources ?

Yes- the Freshman Writing Library Guide is designed for your convenience when you are just starting out. You can access the same information from the gold tab labeled “Research” on the top of libraries.slu.edu. Hover over the tab and a drop down menu will appear.

Annie Rues ENG 190-13 and 15

2010-10-27T16:42:00.011-05:00

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.

Kyle Crews ENG 190-37

2010-10-05T11:44:00.009-05:00

Greetings!

A few of you had questions which I'll do my best to answer below. If there is anything not clear or if you need further help, please stop by the reference desk or call 977-3103 (7-3103 on campus) or contact me at 977-3083 (7-3083) or crownrw@slu.edu.
Ron Crown

How do I figure out which database to use?

A couple of you asked about this; the number and variety of databases can make determining which one is the right one to use difficult. You can always consult the subject listing of databases; if you're still not sure, ask a reference librarian to suggest an appropriate database.

How long can I borrow book?

The loan period for undergraduates for books from Pius Library is 3 weeks with unlimited renewals. Loan periods and number of renewals can vary depending on which library a book comes from or the type of material (such as a DVD). See the circulation policies for Pius Library for full information.

What hours is a librarian available to help students?

Reference desk hours are as follows.

Monday-Thursday 8:00 am-10:00 pm
Friday 8:00 am-5 pm
Saturday 12:00 pm-6:00 pm
Sunday 12:00 pm-10:00 pm

The reference librarians are generally available in the library during the daytime Monday through Friday. If you have a question requiring extensive assistance (e.g. help with how to search a database or how to locate sources on a topic), it's best to make an appointment in advance by contacting one of the reference librarians. But even if you don't have an appointment, we'll always be glad to help you.

Where are the study rooms?

Information on the availability of study rooms, audio-visual rooms, and lockers can be found here.

Also, there are three "collaboration stations" located in the reference department on the first floor of Pius Library which are available on a first come, first served basis. These study areas provide a large screen monitor for group study.

How are the books organized and how do I locate one?

Pius Library uses Library of Congress Classification (click here for an overview) in which all the call numbers begin with letters. Once you have determined a book's call number in the library catalog, you can determine where the book is shelved from the location guide (paper copies of these are available at the reference desk and the circulation desk).

In addition to the call number, note the "Location" indicated in the library catalog. "Pius Library" means the book is on one of the upper floors of the library or in Lewis Annex. "Pius Reference" means the book is located in the reference collection on the first floor. "Locust Street Library Facility" means that the book is kept there and you will need to submit a request for the book (by clicking on the "request" link in the library catalog) to have the book delivered to Pius Library.

Matt Schultz - ENGL190 Section 29 - Fall 2010

2010-10-05T10:03:00.004-05:00

Hi everyone! Here are my responses to the questions you submitted after ou library research class on September 21. I'll do my best to explain things, but if you still have questions, please email me and/or post a comment below. -- Jamie Schmid (Your ENGL-190 Librarian)

"Can I get books for my research paper renewed to have them until after my paper is due?"

As long as your library books aren't already overdue, you can renew them online. Here are instructions for you.

Login to My Library Account. (There's a link to this on the SLU Libraries home page.) Click on "Items Currently Checked Out." Renew selected items by placing a check in the box next to items on the list and clicking on "Renew Marked" OR click on "Renew All" to renew everything you have checked out.

Note: Items that other patrons have placed on hold and items with restricted loans cannot be renewed; a system message will tell you that renewal is not possible.

If your library books are already overdue and you'd like to renew them, please call the Pius Library Circulation Desk at 977-3087.

"What times will the library be open and when can we walk into the library?"

Pius Library's hours can be found on the library Web site. We're once again open 24 hours a day, 5 days a week. SLU students can enter Pius library any time that it's open.

I'm unclear on "where to go if you want to have a group study session?"

If you'd like to get a key for a study room in the library, please go to the Circulation desk on the first floor by the Pius Library entrance. There is also a lot of seating on the 2nd floor outside of Lewis Annex that would accommodate group seating.

I'm unclear on "where bathrooms are located."

Restrooms are located on the inner part of of Pius Library on each floor.

"I'm still unclear of exactly where everything is located but I'm sure I'll get the hang of it eventually."
AND
"The Pius area was just kind of skipped over - would have liked more info about how to get around."

This online tour of the library is a little out of date (especially the section about the 3rd floor), but it will still help you get a sense of where things are in the library. If there's a particular section that you're looking for, you can consult this guide to Library of Congress subjects and then consult the Pius Library location guide to see where materials in a particular subject area are located.

I'm still unclear about "the testing center."

The Testing Center's Web site has additional information about their services.

"Where is the best place to get help from the writing center?"

SLU's Writing Center locations are listed below. Appointments and walk-ins (when consultants are available) are welcome. To make an appointment at any location, use the online scheduler or call 314-977-3484.

Student Success Center
Location: Busch Student Center, suite 331
Monday- Thursday, 10:00am- 4:00pm
Friday, 10:00am- 2:00pm
Saturday- Sunday, closed

Pius XII Library
Location: Pius XII Library, room 320-8
Monday- Thursday, 10:00am- 7:00pm
Friday, 10:00am- 2:00pm
Saturday, closed
Sunday, 1:00pm- 7:00pm

Student Success Center - Medical Center
Location: Nursing Building, room 114
Monday- Friday, 10:00am- 3:00pm

I'm unclear on "how exactly to locate books on each floor."
AND
I'm unclear on "finding/locating certain books."

It can be challenging to navigate a large library. Please let library staff members know if you're having trouble finding anything. We're happy to help! You can also go to the Reference Desk on the 1st floor if you have any questions.

I'd also recommend that you take a look at this site which covers how to read call numbers in an academic library. This Library of Congress classification guide will also show you how the collection is arranged by subject and these subjects are represented by different letters. This Pius Library location guide will provide information about which call numbers are located on which floors.

"Database research also is uncomfortable/difficult at times."
AND
"I'm still not overly sure how to conduct research using the search engines."

I'd recommend that you think about the main concepts of your research topic and write them down. Then below each concept, write down synonyms and similar keywords and concepts. You can then use these keywords when you search databases for articles. The most important thing is to be flexible! If you try one search and you don't get any results, try something else. The research process involves a lot of trial and error. Also, if you need advice about a specific search strategy, please email me. I'd be happy to help you!

I hope this blog post helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I'm happy to help you! -- Jamie

Matt Schultz - ENGL190 Section 23 - Fall 2010

2010-09-23T10:39:00.007-05:00

Hi everyone! Here are my responses to the questions you submitted at the end of our library research class on Tuesday. I'll do my best to explain things, but if you still have questions, please email me and/or post a comment below. -- Jamie Schmid (Your ENGL-190 Librarian)

"Do we just go to the front desk to pick up books that we ordered?"

Yes! When a book comes in for you, you'll receive an email at your SLU email account and you can pick it up at the Circulation Desk near the entrance of the library.

"What are the library's hours?"

Pius Library's hours can be found on the library Web site. We're once again open 24 hours a day, 5 days a week.

I'm still unclear on "what all of the numbers and letters in the call number mean."

This How to Read Call Numbers in an Academic Library web page has a good explanation of what the different parts of a call number mean/represent. Really, though, you don't need to memorize this. You only need to be able to look up materials in the catalog, find their call numbers, and then find them on the shelf.

"I may have trouble finding books in the future."

If you have trouble finding books in the future, please ask for help at the Pius Library Reference Desk on the 1st floor of the library. We'll be happy to help you!

"I wish we would have gotten a tour."

I'm sorry about this. Your instructor and I thought it would be best to give you more time to work in the library classroom on your own research and skip the tour. I'd be happy to show you around the library sometime though. Please email me at schmidj@slu.edu or call me at 977-3591 and we can set up a time.

I have a question about "where everything is. I have a pink sheet that will help, but where sections are."

This online tour of the library is a little out of date (especially the section about the 3rd floor), but it will still help you get a sense of where things are in the library. If there's a particular section that you're looking for, you can consult this guide to Library of Congress subjects and then consult the Pius Library location guide to see where materials in a particular subject area are located.

I'm still unclear on "which search guide or database to use for my topic (Adonis and American Youth). Also, scholarly articles - which ones are and aren't."

I'd recommend that you search for articles in Academic Search Premier. I found some good articles by searching for "adonis complex." You could also try searching for the following: body image and men, or self-esteem and men. You can always add the keywords America or United States and Youth or Teenagers or Young Adults if you're getting a lot of results. You may also want to look at this book.

"The only questions that might pop us are about locating some materials like plays or musical scores."

To find music scores in the library, you can perform an advanced search and limit your search by material type to "music scores." See example. Plays can be found in the library catalog by just doing a title search, just as you would for a book. I don't think there's any way to limit your results to only plays. If you're looking for any plays, you could just do a keyword search for "plays" or include an author's name in your search - for example "Tennessee Williams and plays."

I'm still unclear on "the ability to narrow down an article's subject field to what is absolutely relevant to my topic."

To narrow a search you have several options. You can include additional or more specific keywords in your search that will help you hone in on your topic. For example, instead of searching for "videogames", you could search for "videogames and violence and teenagers." Another option would be to limit your search by publication date or type. Different databases and library catalogs will give you different options for limiting your searches. Please keep in mind that this is something you'll want to do when your searches are getting many results. If you aren't getting very many results, you'll need to broaden your search.

I hope this blog post helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I'm happy to help you! -- Jamie

Ty Hawkins - English 190 - Section 06 - Fall 2010

2010-09-21T10:32:00.019-05:00

Hi all--
Here are answers to the questions you asked or the areas that you indicated were still unclear to you after yesterday's library class. If you are still unclear about anything library-related, please do not hesitate to contact me at 314-977-3598 or baughga@slu.edu. You can also just stop by the Reference Desk and ask for me. -- Georgia Baugh, your English 190 Librarian

Where are most of the medical journals located?
The print medical journals are kept at the Medical Center Library. This library is on the second floor of the Doisy Learning Resource Center on the South end of campus. However, the Medical Center Library provides most medical and health sciences journals online. To find out if SLU has a particular one, use the E-Journal Portal to search by title. If available, the result will show what years are available to you online. Here is an example.

JAMA : the journal of the American Medical Association (0098-7484)


	from 01/01/1993 to present in Journals@Ovid Core Biomedical Collection s

from 01/01/1998 to present in American Medical Association Journals

To find out if the Medical Center Library has a specific medical journal, search the SLU Library Catalog for the journal's title using the Journal,Magazine,Paper Title choice or the Title choice from the drop-down box.

How do I request a book?
Please see the instructions on your English 190 Course Guide at http://libguides.slu.edu/content.php?pid=148417&sid=1261226

What kind of materials can be checked out of Pius Library?
In addition to books, other materials that are available for check out are
VHS tapes
Music CDs
DVDs
Government Documents - Request from Locust Street Library Facility first.
Curriculum Collection Kits - Have limited circulation period.
Note: Current and bound journals must be used in Pius Library.

Is there one main database that will search all databases?
No, not at this time. You can search all EBSCOhost databases or all Gale/InfoTrac databases at one time by using the Multi-Search link for each, located near the top of the Databases web page at http://libraries.slu.edu/databases/databases.php.

Where can I find more information about the Library of Congress Classification System?
Please check out the Library of Congress Classification System guide at http://libraries.slu.edu/liaisons/baughga/lcclass.html

How do I search for newspapers?
Use one of our newspaper databases. LexisNexis Academic has a large selection of regional and national newspapers. Locate that database on our Databases web page at http://libraries.slu.edu/databases/databases.php in the alphabetical list or in the section titled Databases by Type. The Newspapers category under Databases by Type lists all of our databases for newspapers.

How can I search for DVDs?
Probably the easiest way to search for a particular DVD is to use a Keyword search. Type the title or the first part of the title, connect that title with AND, and then type DVD.
Example: Exodus and DVD
You can see a whole list of DVDs by selecting the link on the first page of the SLU Library Catalog that says Browse All DVDs.

What are the different types of databases and how do I know which one to use?
SLU does have a variety of databases, some general, some specific for a particular subject, some that index only a certain type of publication such as newspapers or dissertations. Take a close look at our Databases page at http://libraries.slu.edu/databases/databases.php. We have them grouped in several different ways. First is just in alphabetical order. However, if you click on the question mark, you can read a description of what it covers. Second, is by subject so if you are in a business class, take a look at the databases in the the Business subject list. Third, is by type. This is where you can locate newspaper databases, dissertation databases, databases that are groups of encyclopedias and other reference books, or databases that cover a specific encyclopedia. Finally, take special note of and use any guide that is prepared especially for the class you are taking. Most, if not all, of the most useful resources should appear on that guide.

Do not have a guide for a class or even the subject? Ask a librarian or your professor.

How do I cite sources?
Use the citation style recommended by your professor. Consult our Style Guides and Manuals web page to see the major styles, MLA, APA, Chicago, and Turabian and link to selected websites for each. The current edition for each of the above style manuals is kept at the Reference Desk.

I hope this answers the questions you asked. If you have others or need additional assistance, please contact me. I am happy to help--Georgia Baugh

Michael Elam - ENGL190 Section 01 - Summer 2010

2010-05-24T16:18:00.002-05:00

I hope this blog post helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I'm happy to help you! -- Jamie

Lauren Coker-Durso's students ask

2010-03-29T15:33:00.002-05:00

How do you know exactly which database to use?

Look at the databases by subject lists. http://libraries.slu.edu/databases/databases.php
You can also click on the little blue question mark next to the name of the database for a detailed description. You can ask at the reference desk (email, chat phone or in person) for recommendations. Some of you wondered why we had so many databases. SLU is a big university with graduate and undergraduate programs in many different disciplines so our library subscriptions need to support all of those students and faculty. In reality you will probably only need to use a few databases for most of your research.

More

Remember that you can identify databases in various subject areas from the Databases page. Within each subject category, you'll see a list of the related databases along with an information button to the left of the database name. Click on the information button to view a brief description of the database. These are the first steps in deciding whether a particular database might be helpful. The next step is to search the database for information on your topic.

Question from Curtis Porter's section

2010-03-29T15:15:00.005-05:00

Would I get a bad grade on my paper for using popular journals and not peer-reviewed?
Sometimes your professor may require research material from only peer-reviewed journals but material from popular journals, trade publications, and newspapers contain useful information as well. If in doubt about the validity of a source ask your instructor or consult a librarian. Link here for more information on Scholarly Journals v. Popular Magazines.

Can I access the databases from the dorms?
Yes. You can also access the databases from off-campus. See this link for directions.

Hancock Spring 2010 All sections

2010-03-25T13:23:00.004-05:00

Thank you for attending the library sessions over the last two weeks. Here are my responses to the questions you still had about the library at the end of our sessions.

Where are the movies?
We have a small collection of videos/dvd's that you can check out. They are located against the south wall of the lower level of the library (very close to the LL7 classroom where we met). Just bring the case up to the circulation desk if you see something you want to check out.

What do you do if you get lost in the library? Can you call someone to come get you?
It's pretty hard to get lost in the main part of the library--it's really just a big rectangle. Lewis Annex is a different matter and can be confusing. Remember to use the elevator to navigate between the different floors and that you need to be on the fourth floor of Lewis Annex to get back to the main part of Pius Library. You can always call the Reference Desk at 977-3103
for help. Also you might want to look at the online tour of the library at
http://libraries.slu.edu/help/tour/welcome.html

There were several questions about choosing a database. Here is some advice.
Look at the databases by subject lists. http://libraries.slu.edu/databases/databases.php
You can also click on the little blue question mark next to the name of the database for a detailed description. You can ask at the reference desk (email, chat phone or in person) for recommendations. Some of you wondered why we had so many databases. SLU is a big university with graduate and undergraduate programs in many different disciplines so our library subscriptions need to support all of those students and faculty. In reality you will probably only need to use a few databases for most of your research.

Where are the librarians located?
The reference librarians are scattered in offices in different parts of the library. We all work at the reference desk in the iCommons for 5-10 hours a week. The best way to contact the liaison librarian for your department is to email or call the librarian. Here is the contact information for all of the reference librarians. http://libraries.slu.edu/about/directory/libnsnew.html. We also have business cards for all of the reference librarians at the reference desk.

Can a librarian help us personally with our search?
Of course! You can ask for help at the reference desk or set up an appointment. Also, please feel free to contact me for help if you have more questions. My email is gillesj@slu.edu and phone is 977-3592. The reference librarians at SLU work with hundreds of students individually over the course of the year.

How do I find an article if it is not online?
If we don't have an article online, search for the journal title (not the title of the article) in the library catalog. Check to see if we have the volume (year) you need. If we do and the location is Pius Library then use the location guide and the call number of the journal to find the journal. If the location is LSLF then follow the instructions to request a copy of the article. The LSLF is a remote location which houses some of our less frequently used materials. Your article will be scanned and delivered within 24 hours.

If we don't have the article online or in print then you can request it via Interlibrary Loan (ILL). The first time you use the ILL system you have to create your own account and password. The link to ILL is on the large red menu on the left side of the library home page.

How do I access full text of the article?
If the article is "embedded" in the database you will see a link that says PDF full text or HTML full text (or similar wording depending on the database). If not, click on the "Find it at SLU" button which will take you to the Article Linker page. If we have the full text, click on the "article" link on the Article Linker page.

How can I find pictures?
Here is a web site which lists various sources for images http://libraries.slu.edu/qrefsour/qrefimge.html. The Academic Search database also has images. Click on "more" in the blue menu bar on the top of the main search page then select images and run your search. Finally as you may know, you can search Google or Flickr for images.

Good luck with your research!

Sarah Schwab - ENGL 190 Section 20 - Spring 2010

2010-03-23T15:53:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone! Here are my responses to the questions you submitted at the end of our library research class last week. I'll do my best to explain things, but if you still have questions, please email me and/or post a comment below. -- Jamie Schmid (Your ENGL-190 Librarian)

"... I'm sure I'll still get lost on the Web site. There are too many places from which to research and each has its own rules!"
AND
I'm still unclear on "maybe using the different databases, but with practice I'll get better."

It's true that there are many resources available on the library's Web site and that they don't all work exactly the same way. Different companies produce the various databases that the library subscribes to and we don't control of their functionality and interfaces. There are definitely similarities among these products though and as you become a more experienced researcher you'll learn what features to look for. You can usually do a keyword or subject search, find at least information about an article or book (or other material) including publication information, subject information, etc. and you should be able to find either the full text or a Find It At SLU button. You can usually email yourself the information that you find too (or save or print it). If you have questions about any resources that you find on the library's Web site, please let me know. I'd be happy to help you!

"What is the best way to look for specific content in books - not just keywords."

Hmm.. I'm not sure exactly what you mean. Do you mean search the full text of books? Unfortunately that feature isn't available in the library catalog. You could try searching Google Books. It lets you search the full text of a collection of books. We also have some ebooks that you could search the content of. They can be found in the library catalog. You could also search an ebook reference collection like Gale Virtual Reference Library or Oxford Reference Online if you wanted to search within reference books (encyclopedias, dictionaries, etc.). Otherwise, you just have to rely on the keywords and subjects included in library catalog records to ascertain a book's content. When you look at the actual book, you can then check the table of contents and index for more specific information.

"Which database would be able to get the most specific topics?"

I'm not sure what you mean by this? Do you want to know which database would have the best articles on your topic? If so, it depends what your topic is. Please email me and let me know what you're researching. I'll send you some database recommendations based on that.

"In class I understand how to find articles but when I get home or back to my dorm I am unable to get back to what I was doing before. I still have trouble finding exactly what information I need using keywords."

I'd recommend that you use our Freshman Writing Program research guide when doing your research. That way you'll have convenient links to the various resources we talked about in our library classes, including article databases. If you have trouble finding information using keywords, please remember that most important thing to do is be flexible! If you try one search and you don't get any results, try something else. The research process involves a lot of trial and error. Also, if you need advice about a specific search strategy, please email me.

"Is there more than one data research base online?"

The SLU Libraries subscribe to over 200 research databases. They're all linked from this page.

I'm "still fuzzy on what search engines deal with what magazines, journals, etc."

One thing that I forgot to mention during our classes, is that every database the library subscribes to has a database description link that you can click on. For example, take a look at this list of databases. Each database has a question mark icon on the left that you can click on to get more information about the content of the database, dates of coverage, etc. This should help. Also, if you want to search within a specific magazine or journal you can search for the title in our e-journal portal. This search will only show you what kind of online access the library has. It won't show you what's available in the library in print. If you'd like to see both you'll want to search the library catalog.

"The library website is confusing to navigate."

I'm sorry that you're finding the Web site confusing. In general, I'd recommend focusing on the Finding Books and Finding Articles sections for most things. You may also want to start out by just using our Freshman Writing Program research guide. The resources included on this guide were selected especially for English 190 students. That should help. We also have many other research guides on different topics.

I hope this blog post helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I'm happy to help you! -- Jamie

Shelly Combs - English 190 -Section 25

2010-03-22T00:36:00.038-05:00

Hi Everyone,

Hope you had a relaxing spring break. Now that you're back, you're probably gearing up for the position argument assignment that will require you to use the resources discussed in our recent library session. Here on this blog I've posted responses to the questions some of you posed on the one-minute papers during our library session. If you have questions about any of this information, or need assistance with your research assignment, please feel free to contact me (977-3584; josephme@slu.edu).

Dr. Joseph
***********

1. What features does a library account have? How can I create a library account?

A Library Account is a very useful thing. It allows you to view your circulation record (books checked out, requested, overdue and fines), renew books, place holds on books, save library catalog searches to re-run at a later date, set up email alerts (weekly notifications of materials meeting your saved search criteria), change your library password, and even create a personal reading history of books you've checked out previously and returned. Setting up your Library Account is easy. On the SLU Libraries home page (http://libraries.slu.edu/ ), under the FIND A BOOK heading, you'll see a link to "Renew Books" (Library Account); click on that link. Just follow the instructions on the page, i.e.,
· Type in your 9-digit Banner ID (including all leading zeroes) and click on the "Submit" button
· On the next screen, type in your password twice--be sure to follow the password creation guidelines appearing on the right side of the screen.
· Click the "Submit" button and your record should display.
One important thing to remember when you use your Library Account -- Be sure to click on the red "Log Out" button when you finish, especially if you're working at a public computer!!

2. Where can I find specific books on certain topics?

I'm not clear on whether you mean (a) how to find books on specific topics in the SLU Libraries Catalog, or (b) once call numbers for books have been identified, how are the books located on the library's shelves. So I'll address both.

(a) In the SLU Libraries Catalog, try to use Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) when searching. If you can match your topic to LCSH, your search will be more focused and efficient. If, however, you cannot readily identify appropriate LCSH by which to search, conduct a keyword search. Remember to look for the "Subjects" information on the bottom of the Catalog record for books you find; this is a useful way to determine the LCSH for that and similar books.

(b) In the Catalog, when books are located in Pius Library, the Pius Location information will appear as a link. Click on that link (e.g., Pius Library) and the Pius Location Guide will display. This Guide shows ranges of Library of Congress Call Numbers and their location in Pius Library. Click here to view the Location Guide.

3. How can I find my book's automatic MLA citation?

I believe you're thinking of the feature in some databases that automatically format the citations of search results in MLA or other styles. Such tools can be very handy, but you should always review what they do to make sure they are correct! Remember, you alone are responsible for your work, including citation formatting.

If you're using a database that doesn't provide the automatic citation feature, or if you're using the SLU Libraries Catalog, you can use some Web-based resources to do this. Make sure they are using the same edition of a style manual that you need to use! One such resource is EZBib: Free Bibliography Maker (see http://www.easybib.com/). You can use it to do MLA formatting for free right now, at least, but you'd need to pay for a subscription to use APA or Chicago styles. Another is BibMe: Fast & Easy Bibliography Maker (see http://www.bibme.org/). It covers APA, Chicago, MLA, and Turabian -- but, unfortunately, it is one edition behind with APA style! An even better resource, that's totally free and based on current style manual editions, is Son of Citation Machine (see http://citationmachine.net/); it also covers APA, Chicago, MLA, and Turabian.

4. Where is that Web site with Dr. Joseph's photo?

You're referring to the Research Guide for your class; see http://libguides.slu.edu/english190-25. It's also listed on the library session outline.

The home page for the Research Guides is http://libguides.slu.edu/. Browse the subject list on the left side. There are guides for many different subject areas and you may find one or more to help you identify useful resources for papers in other classes as well.

5. What are the methods for getting the full text of an article online?

There are several methods but first, please remember that most journals will NOT be available online and that print volumes are full-text, too! Now, to reiterate the information provided on the library session outline:

If you're not actively searching a database and are working, instead, from a printed list of references, do this:

(a) First check the SLU E-Journal Portal to find out if SLU provides access to the online full-text of the journal volume you need. You get to the Portal from the Libraries home page (http://libraries.slu.edu/). Just under the FIND AN ARTICLE heading, click on the link "Search for Online Journals, Magazines, or Newspapers." On the Portal screen type in the title of the journal (not the article!) that you need.
(b) If the journal volume you need is not online, perform a "Journal Title" search in the SLU Libraries Catalog to see if Pius Library subscribes in print or microform formats (sometimes--but not always--you'll see links to online full-text as well.) You may find that SLU owns the volume you need in print format, but that it is at at the Locust Street Library Facility (LSLF), where lesser-used materials are stored. If that's the case, submit a request for the specific article through Interlibrary Loan's (ILL) ILLiad system (more on that shortly). Within 24-48 hours (Monday-Friday), the article will be scanned and posted electronically. ILL staff will notify you via email that the article is available and you can login to your ILL account to view/print/download it.

If you are working in a library database, there's an embedded feature that will help you identify full-text articles online if they are not contained in the database you are using. Click on this icon to open the feature known as Article Linker, embedded within most database search results, to determine the best available path to the periodical content. It will link you to (Step 1) the full-text of the article in another database (if available); (Step 2) the SLU Libraries Catalog record for the publication; and (Step 3) to Interlibrary Loan's ILLiad system. For the Article Linker FAQ, see http://libraries.slu.edu/help/artlink/alfaq.html.

Now, about ILL's ILLiad service. It can be used to request books that are unavailable from SLU or MOBIUS libraries (remember MOBIUS is our statewide system). And it can be used to request periodical articles both from the SLU LSLF as well as other libraries across the country if SLU doesn't have what you need. From the Interlibrary Loan main page (http://libraries.slu.edu/services/ill.html), you'll first need to set up a personalized account by going to the ILLiad page for your "home" SLU library, i.e., Pius Library if your major is hosted by a department on the Frost Campus or if you are undeclared, and the Medical Center Library if your major is hosted by a department on the Medical Center campus. For journal article requests, after you log in to ILLiad using your personal account information, select the "Photocopy" option to make your request.

6. How can I find specific Web sites quickly?

If you don't happen to know the site's address (URL), then it's probably best to use a Web search engine. There are many, many of them (see http://thesearchenginelist.com/), but Google (http://www.google.com/) is probably the most popular. The thing to remember when using a Web search engine like Google is that you can only do keyword, or free-text, searching; there is no "official" subject vocabulary like those found in most library subscription databases. With keyword searches you have to think of alternative forms of a word and include all that make sense. For example, if we Google the word television, I retrieve 232,000,000 results. But if we Google the word tv, we retrieve 1,850,000,000 results! The "tv" search may include many, but not all, of the "television" search results. A better way to search this would be television OR tv which retrieves 2,030,000,000 results (eliminating duplicated results). Using the boolean connector OR will retrieve results for both words. [Note: It's important to capitalize OR !]

Another helpful thing is to place phrases in quotation marks to ensure that Google understands you're looking for a phrase. For example, searching television violence retrieves 9,140,000 results. Because quotation marks weren't used, Google assumed we wanted to AND the terms together and retrieve results that include both words *somewhere* in the document/page. The default Boolean connector in Google is AND. [Note: Searching television OR violence retrieves 334,000,000 results.] What happens when we use those quotation marks -- "television violence" -- to do a phrase search? The results are 143,000. Still quite a lot, but far fewer than were retrieved in other ways. Phrase searching provides greater search precision.

Jennifer Culver - Section 22 - Spring 2010

2010-02-01T16:03:00.006-06:00

Hi everyone!

First, I want to say that I enjoyed both of your classes. Please contact me or stop by with any questions that you have. I will try to answer the questions you indicted were still not clear to you today when you did your one-minute paper.

Georgia Baugh

"How do we request articles/books that are located at the Locust Street Storage facility?"

For books, click the blue Request button at the top of the page displaying the book's complete information and follow the prompts. You will need to enter your name and your SLU Library Catalog password. If you have not set one, you can do so the first time you make a request.

For articles at the Locust Street Library Facility, there is a link that says "SLU Patrons Request Digital Article via ILLiad Document Delivery System " just below the name of the journal. This link takes you to an Interlibrary Loan page where you can click on the ILLiad link in the Pius XII Memorial Library section of the page. You will need to create an Interlibrary Loan/ILLiad account if you do not already have one. Finally, fill in the article information. Articles from the Locust Street Library Facility will typically arrive in your SLU email in about 24 hours, with the exception of weekends.

"How long does Interlibrary Loan take?"
and
"How soon can Interlibrary Loans be picked up at Pius after requests are placed?"

Unfortunately, my answer is it depends. If you request an article that is at the Locust Street Library Facility or at another SLU Library, it will come within a day or two. Usually you will receive an email with a link to a pdf of the article you requested. If you request an article that is not owned by any SLU Library, it could take a week or two. So, please plan ahead.

If you are requesting a book that is not owned by any SLU or MOBIUS Library, the time to receive it may be up to 2 weeks. This is because, the book must be sent through the U.S. mail.

In any case, you will receive an email sent to your SLU email account when the article or book is ready to be picked up.

"Which databases usually have the most PDF files?"

The SLU Libraries have a lot of databases, most, but not all, provide a pdf for at least some of their articles. I can say that LexisNexis Academic provides NO pdfs. Also with the Find It @ SLU button, you may find the pdf on the publisher's Web site. Whether or not a database provider like EBSCO or Gale provide pdf's for their articles, may depend upon the contract each has with the journal publisher. I am afraid I cannot give you a more clear-cut answer to this one.

"How to find books in the Library, especially Lewis Annex."

When you are looking at a record in the Library Catalog, there is a link under Location that usually says Pius Library or another location. If the information under Location is linked, that link takes you to our online Location Guide. That guide will tell you on what floor and which side of the building you can find the item. Right now all call numbers from A through C are found on some Level of Lewis Annex. The Location Guide will tell you which Level. For example, if you need a book whose call number begins with BR, the Guide tells you that it is on Level 2 of Lewis Annex since BR is between BH and BS.

Getting to Lewis Annex can also be a bit confusing. Just remember that it is directly connected to the regular Pius Library Library Level 2 at the Northwest corner. Also, that Level 2 of Pius connects to Level 4 of Lewis Annex. I may be helpful to take the online Pius Library Tour.

Chris Dickman - Sections 9 and 10 - Spring 2010

2010-01-28T13:08:00.006-06:00

Hi everyone! Here are my responses to the questions you submitted at the end of our library research class on Tuesday. I'll do my best to explain things, but if you still have questions, please email me and/or post a comment below. -- Jamie Schmid (Your ENGL-190 Librarian)

"How long can you check out a book?"

Undergraduate students at SLU may check out books for 3 weeks. You can then renew them an unlimited number of times, as long as no one else has requested the book. Additional information about library borrowing privileges can be found on the library's Web site.

I'm still unclear on the "find it @ SLU part of a database."
AND
I'm still unclear on "how to get articles from Academic Search Premier if they are not in full text or attached as a pdf file."

You can use the FIND IT @ SLU button to see if an article is available in another database or in print in the library. If it's available online, you can click on the "article" link that's listed under Step 1. If it's not available, you can go to Step 2 to search and see if it's available in the library in print. If the article isn't available electronically or in print, you can go to Step 3 to place an interlibrary loan request for the article. We'll get it for you from another library and email it to your SLU email account.

"Are there any other databases have more recent articles as we need them?"

Library databases like LexisNexis Academic and Academic Search Premier include really recent articles. You should be able to use them to find information on your topic, even if it's very current.

"I never took a tour so I don't really know my way around."
AND
"Sometimes it is difficult to find a book's location."
AND
"I feel pretty clear on the information, though maybe finding the book in the library will be difficult."

It can be challenging to navigate a large library. Please let library staff members know if you're having trouble finding anything. We're happy to help! You can also go to the Reference Desk on the 1st floor if you have any questions.

I'd also recommend that you take a look at this site which covers how to read call numbers in an academic library. This Library of Congress classification guide will also show you how the collection is arranged by subject and these subjects are represented by different letters.

I'm still unclear on "MOBIUS."
AND
I'm still unclear on "finding books at other libraries using the MOBIUS search."

MOBIUS is a consortium of libraries that includes almost every academic library in Missouri and 2 public libraries. You can use the MOBIUS Catalog to request books from other libraries in Missouri and have them delivered to you at one of the SLU Libraries. You may only do this if the books you're requesting aren't available for check out at one of the SLU Libraries.

To get to the MOBIUS Catalog, you can either click on the MOBIUS link on the SLU Libraries homepage (see screenshot) or the MOBIUS button found on each page in the SLU Libraries Catalog (see screenshot).

Once you've found a book you'd like to request, click on the REQUEST THIS ITEM link in the middle of the catalog record (see screenshot). You'll then need to indicate that you're affiliated with the SLU cluster of libraries and enter your name and full Banner ID number. Your book should arrive in 2-3 business days. You'll receive an email at your SLU email account when it arrives.

"I am not too sure about the new library on Locust St."

The Locust Street Library Facility is SLU's new remote storage facility. It houses lesser-used materials from Pius Library, the Medical Center Library, and the Law Library. You can request books and journal volumes from the Locust Street Library Facility via the library catalog by clicking on the REQUEST button (see screen capture example), or request individual articles via a link in the catalog record that says "SLU Patrons Request Digital Article via ILLiad Document Delivery Service" (see example).

This Locust Street Library Facility page on the library's Web site will provide you with additional information about the LSLF.

I'm still unclear on "what exactly the interloan thing is on the library's website."

Interlibrary Loan is a service offered by the SLU Libraries that lets you request books (that aren't available at SLU or other MOBIUS Libraries) and articles (that aren't available at SLU in print or online). Our Interlibrary Loan service gives you the opportunity to borrow books and obtain electronic copies of journal articles from libraries all over the country. To use this service, you just need to set up an Interlibrary Loan account (see First Time Users link) and fill out a request form for the item you're trying to borrow. For additional information, please see our Interlibrary Loan FAQ.

I hope this blog post helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I'm happy to help you!

Shelly Combs - English 190 - Section 32

2009-11-30T14:25:00.018-06:00

Hi all,

Please see below for my responses to the questions and comments you wrote on the one-minute papers at the end of our recent class session at Pius Library. Don't hesitate to get in touch if you need more assistance with the course research assignments or even if you just want to follow up on any of the items below.

Dr. Joseph (josephme@slu.edu)

1. I find the multiple floors of the library confusing.
Pius is a pretty big building and probably a much larger library than many of you are used to using. Like any new place, it takes a little time to get to know. The best way to do that is to use it, as you will learn by doing--for example, learn how to find a book on the shelf by following the steps to accomplish that task. Once you use the SLU Libraries Catalog to identify the call number of a book owned by Pius, don't forget to consult a Location Guide to determine the level on which the book is shelved. Click here to see a brief help guide on reading Library of Congress call numbers; this will help you navigate once you are on the appropriate Library level (or floor).

2. How do I know which books I can check out of Pius Library and for how long? Is there a limit on the number of books I can check out at one time?
When you search the SLU Libraries Catalog and see "NOT CHECKD OUT" in the status box or you see "DUE" followed by a date--these are books that can be checked out at the desk in the main lobby with your SLU ID card. There is no limit to the number of Pius Library books you can check out at once. Please see the Library Circulation Policies for information about loan periods, etc.

3. Will the online renewal for books tell you if a book's been requested by someone else so that you don't renew it?
You will not be able to renew the book in that situation. You could return the book and place a hold on it to borrow it again when the next borrower(s) finish with it. Or, better yet, place a MOBIUS or (if it's unavailable from MOBIUS) Interlibrary Loan ILLiad request for it as that probably will get it into your hands sooner.

4. I'm still kind of confused about requesting books, especially if they aren't in the SLU library collections.
Well, the first thing is always to check the SLU Libraries Catalog to see whether SLU has the book you need. If it's at Pius, great. If it's at one of the other SLU libraries, you can go get it yourself or use the blue "Request" button at the top of the catalog screen to request that it be sent to Pius for you to use; then you can return it to Pius and we'll send it back to the loaning library.

However, if a book you need is not available (for whatever reason) from any of the SLU libraries, the next step is to click on the gold "Search MOBIUS" button to see if one of the other academic libraries in Missouri has the book available for loan. On the MOBIUS page, click on the link that says "Display holdings of MOBIUS Libraries" to check availability. If the book is available for loan, then click on the link that says "REQUEST THIS ITEM." The next screen asks "With which cluster are you affliated? -- choose SLU. Click on the "Submit above information" button and complete the online form (your university ID is your Banner #).

What if no MOBIUS library has the book available? Then make a request for the book through Interlibrary Loan's ILLiad service. You'll need to set up an ILLiad account before using this service; see this FAQ for more information.

5. What exactly is a "periodic" source?
I think you mean "periodical" source. A periodical is a publication that is issued at regular intervals. It could be daily like a newspaper, weekly like a general interest magazine like TIME, monthly like some professional newsletters, quarterly like many (but not all!) academic journals, or even just once a year or once every two-three years.

6. The SLU libraries have so many databases...how can I figure out which ones I should use for a particular research topic?
Remember that you can identify databases in various subject areas from the Databases page. Within each subject category, you'll see a list of the related databases along with an information button to the left of the database name. Click on the information button to view a brief description of the database. These are the first steps in deciding whether a particular database might be helpful. The next step is to search the database for information on your topic. (Remember...If you are using online databases from the dorms or off-campus, you will be prompted to type in your SLUNet ID and SLUNet ID password to be able to access them--and journals containing full-text as well!).

7. What if my topic does not related directly to any of the subject areas?
The short answer is...it really does. You may simply need to think differently about the different perspectives from which your topic may be viewed; that will help you determine the subject area(s). Try talking about your research topic to someone; I'd be happy to discuss it with you and I'm sure your instructor would, too. The database descriptions are meant only as guidance, to give you a general idea of what the databases cover so you can decide which ones might help you. Only when you actually search a database using search terms that reflect your specific research interest will you really be able to determine how useful a particular database is.

8. I'm still unsure about what adding "and" does in a database search.
The words and and or are known as Boolean operators or connectors. That is, they let a database know how you want to organize your search. See if this example helps. Say you want to research the relationship between job performance and job satisfaction. As you think of ways to express the concept of "job performance," it occurs to you that "job productivity" would be a good synonym. So you would tell the database to search "job performance OR job productivity" to retrieve all the records related to that subject. OR expands a search. So far, so good, but remember that you want to relate job performance to "job satisfaction." Your next step, then, is look for all the records about "job satisfaction" that overlap with the records found in your search on "job performance OR job productivity"--this is done with AND. So AND narrows a search!

9. What do I do once I find articles in a database search? How do I retrieve an article formatted as a pdf file?
Sometimes it's obvious that the full text is available from the database you're searching and you can read, print, download, or email it (Note: To download the article, save it to the "My Documents" folder and then drag it on to your flash drive). Some databases allow you to email a full-text article directly from the database and others don't. In the latter case, save the article to the "My Documents" folder on the library computer per above, open up your Web-based email, compose a message to yourself and attach the saved file. All of this works regardless of the format in which the article is provided, including pdf files. To view a pdf file, you'll just need to be sure you have the Adobe Reader on the computer you're using. It's loaded on all Pius Library computers. On the off-chance it's not on your home computer, or if you need to update to the most recent version, just go to http://get.adobe.com/reader/ and download it--it's free!

When the full text of an article is not present in the database you're using, you should click on the "Find It @ SLU" button which opens Article Linker. Article Linker will (Step 1) determine the availability of the source(s) of the full text of the article in a different database and lead you to it. If your article is not available online, follow Step 2 to search the SLU Libraries Catalog to see if the article is owned by the libraries in another format. Step 3, the link to Interlibrary Loan's ILLiad system, should be used when the only way to view the complete article is request it be obtained from another library.

Shelly Combs - English 190 - Section 26

2009-11-30T01:05:00.005-06:00

Hi everyone,

My responses to the questions and comments you wrote on the one-minute papers at the end of our recent class session at Pius library follow. If you need further assistance with the research assignments for this course or want to follow up on any of the items below, please don’t hesitate to get in touch!

Dr. Joseph (josephme@slu.edu)

1. There are so many different ways to find information that it is overwhelming to know where to start (finding book, online articles, periodicals).
Yes, it can be overwhelming. It does get easier gradually, though, the more research you do. Research isn't a linear process and exactly what you do first may vary by subject discipline (for example, in the sciences, you often won't start by looking for books whereas in the humanities you most likely would). At this point in your college career, the most important thing is that you understand what the main information types are and how to find them, at least on a basic level. As you become a more experienced researcher, this will become easier and you'll also better know when to start where.

2. I think it would be beneficial to do a walking tour to see where everything is because it is hard to figure that out by sitting at a computer.
Everyone has their own preference about walking tours and whether or when they are helpful. For many students, these tours don't make much sense until they actually have to go and find materials identified by using a computer to search the library catalog or a periodical database.

3. I'm still unclear about how to find a book or article on the shelf (what level they're on).
After using the SLU Libraries Catalog to identify the location of a book or a print journal volume, just look at the call number and plug the first letters of the call number into the list printed on a Location Guide. Suppose, for example, that the call number of a book is PR 1234 .D56 2008. The PR falls within the call number range PQ 2226 - PS 3537 .L that appears on the Guide, as in PQ...PR...PS. This call number range is shelved on Level 4 North. Take the stairs or elevator to that floor and look for the PR section. PR 1, PR 2, PR 3, etc., until you find PR 1234. Then look for PR 1234 .A1 until you find PR 1234 .D1, etc. (read the number as a decimal). Click here for a brief help guide on reading Library of Congress call numbers.

4. What are the late fees when a book is returned overdue?
For complete information, see Library Circulation Policies: Overdue Books and Fines.

5. Why would I want to use a subject encyclopedia when I'm not supposed to cite encyclopedias in my research paper?
Encyclopedias generally are great background resources, providing fairly succinct overviews of topics and highlighting major concepts, events, people, etc. Subject encyclopedias offer the advantage of focusing on specific disciplines and tend to provide still brief, yet more thorough, overviews of topics--information that may give you ideas as to how to better focus your own research. They also tend to use more of the language, or jargon, of the discipline and so appeal more to specialists than basic encyclopedias (e.g., The World Book) do. Some of these terms may be useful to you when searching specialized online databases. Subject encyclopedias almost always provides reference lists as well.

6. How can I figure out which databases are best for my topic?
Remember that you can identify databases in various subject areas from the Databases page. Within each subject category, you'll see a list of the related databases along with an information button to the left of the database name. Click on the information button to view a brief description of the database. These are the first steps in deciding whether a particular database might be helpful. The next step is to search the database for information on your topic. (Remember...If you are using online databases from the dorms or off-campus, you will be prompted to type in your SLUNet ID and SLUNet ID password to be able to access them (and journals containing full-text as well!).

7. Sometimes it's hard to determine the subject of my topic and the database descriptions are not descriptive enough to know whether the database is really useful.
Do you mean that you're not sure whether your research topic fits into one or another of the broad subject areas listed on the Databases page like education or psychology or business? You need to think about the different perspectives from which your topic may be viewed and that will help you determine the subject area. The database descriptions are meant only as guidance, to give you a general idea of what the databases cover so you can decide which ones might help you. Only when you actually search a database using search terms that reflect your specific research interest will you really be able to determine how useful a particular database is.

8. What's the advantage of using library databases to search for journal articles on a topic instead of Google or Google Scholar?
There are several advantages,but here are three big ones: (1) Most academic journal articles cannot be accessed through the Google tools because of copyright issues. Many publishers don't allow articles from their journals to be made available online unless it's through them and their usual subscription services; (2) You can't do the sophisticated searching in the Google tools that you can do in most library databases; and (3) You don't know what's being searched by the Google tools whereas you can always find out what the journal coverage is of a library database.

Ina Seethaler - English 190 Section 9

2009-11-18T16:25:00.004-06:00

Hi All,
Sorry to be late in posting to the blog. I only received a few questions on the one-minute papers.
Below are answers to the questions. Please contact me if you have any questions about libraries, databases, or any information needs.
Good luck with the rest of the semester,
Martha allenmh@slu.edu 314-977-3596

1. How do I receive journals that are in the library?
Great question - Print journal titles can be found in a number of places in the library. You will need to retrieve the journal yourself and photocopy the pages you need. Current journal issues are located in the lower level. Journal issues in microfilm are also found in the lower level. There are two microfilm/microfiche reader printers in the lower level. A student worker staffs a help desk in the lower level to provide assistance in locating, loading, and printing microfilm. Older issues of print journals are found in the general circulating collection on floors 2-5. The call number of the journal is needed to access all print journals and can be found by searching the Saint Louis Libraries Catalog.

2. Unclear about automatic citing.
A number of databases have internal citation creation tools. Unfortunately each database vendor has its own tool. For Academic Search Premier please refer to the video tutorial #4 located on the right hand margin.

Lisieux Huelman – English 190 – Section 16

2009-11-16T09:38:00.020-06:00

Hi everyone,

Below you will find my responses to the questions and comments you wrote on the one-minute papers at the end of our recent class session at Pius library. If you need further assistance with the research assignments for this course, please don’t hesitate to get in touch!

Dr. Joseph (josephme@slu.edu )

1. I’m a little confused about how to find books in Pius Library.

When using the SLU Libraries Catalog, just be sure to write down the entire Library of Congress call number of the book you need. Look at the letters that begin the call number and plug them into a Location Guide (either online at http://libraries.slu.edu/about/locatgde.html or on a printed guide available at the Pius service desks and posted by the elevators). Then go to the appropriate shelving area on the upper levels to find it. If you’re unsure about how to “read” Library of Congress call numbers on books shelved “in the stacks,” you may find this page helpful: http://libraries.slu.edu/help/howdoi/loc.html .

2. I’m still not 100% clear on how to access an online database.

Remember that you can identify databases in various subject areas from the Databases page http://libraries.slu.edu/databases/databases.cfm. Within each subject category, you’ll see a list of the related databases along with an information button to the left of the database name. Click on the information button to view a brief description of the database. These are the first steps in deciding whether a particular database might be helpful. The next step is to search the database for information on your topic.

Also remember that if you are using online databases from the dorms or off-campus, you will be prompted to type in your SLUnet ID and SLUnet ID password to be able to access them (and journals containing full-text as well!).

3. Are there science databases for very modern technology?

The answer is yes, but your choice of databases depends on exactly what you mean by “very modern technology.” For example, if you’re thinking about something in aviation, you may want to use a specialized database like Aerospace & High Technology Database. Or you could use Applied Science & Technology Full Text, which is less discipline-specific and indexes literature in many fields. In fact, you may want to try both. For a refresher on identifying databases in various subject areas, see #1 above.

4. How can I be sure that an article is from a scholarly source?

There are a number of different ways to figure this out. Simply by viewing an article citation, you often will be able to discern this. For example, does the article sound "academic"? Does the journal title contain any of these words?: journal, quarterly, research. What is the length of the article? Can you tell whether it contains references or a bibliography? And if the datababse provides an abstract of the article, does that sound "academic"? Remember that some databases give you the option of limiting your search results to academic or scholarly or peer-reviewed publications. This is very helpful most of the time, but sometimes your instructor (or even you!) might not agree with the database in this regard, so it's important thatyou do a little critical thinking of your own in this way. The Research Guide for your English 190 class contains links to two resources that will aid you in determining scholarly sources; see the Scholarly vs. Popular tab.

5. How can I find whether the full-text of an article is available if it isn't in the database I'm searching?

This information was in Part VII of the library session outline. Here it is again. For electronic full-text:

Important Feature Embedded in Library Databases!! Click on the "Find It @ SLU" icon to open the feature known as Article Linker, embedded within most database search results. Click on it to determine the best available path to the periodical content. It will link you to (Step 1) the full text of the article in another database (if available); (Step 2) the SLU Libraries Catalog record for the publication; and (Step 3) to Interlibrary Loan’s ILLiad system. For the Article Linker FAQ, see http://libraries.slu.edu/help/artlink/alfaq.html .

If you’re not in a database but are working from an existing reference list, click on the “Search for Online Journals, Magazines, or Newspapers” link on the SLU Libraries home page to check the full-text availability of specific journals (see

http://hy2ju6vj2n.search.serialssolutions.com/ ).

Remember that most journals will NOT be available online and that print volumes are full-text, too! If you’re not actively searching a database and are working, instead, from a printed list of references, perform a “Journal Title” search in the SLU Libraries Catalog to see if Pius Library subscribes in print or microform formats (sometimes—but not always—you’ll see links to online full text as well).

6. I’m confused about when to use Interlibrary Loan’s ILLiad service and how to do it. And if a book is another SLU library, do I have to go to that library to get the book or can it be sent to Pius for me to pick up there?

When you are searching the SLU Libraries Catalog and find that a book you need is at either the SLU Law or Medical Center libraries, you can go to that library yourself and check the book out with your SLU ID card OR you can click on the blue “Request” button at the top of the screen and request that the book be sent to Pius Library for you to retrieve there. Just keep in mind that delivery to Pius via the “Request” service typically takes 24 hours, Monday-Friday (non-holidays), so if you need the book quickly, you’ll have to get it yourself.

If a book you need is not available at SLU for any reason, and you search for it in the MOBIUS Catalog and find it is available at another academic library in Missouri, you can request the book through MOBIUS. If, however, the book is not available via MOBIUS either, you can place a request for it through ILLiad, the traditional Interlibrary Loan service. From the Interlibrary Loan main page, you’ll first need to set up a personalized account by going to the ILLiad page for your “home” SLU library, i.e., Pius Library if your major is hosted by a department on the Frost Campus or if you are undeclared, and the Medical Center Library if your major is hosted by a department on the Medical Center Library.

For journal articles, if Pius does not have the article you need in ANY form (that includes print and microfilm!), you can use ILLiad to make a request (MOBIUS is not used for this purpose). After you log in to ILLiad using your personal account information, select the “Photocopy” option to make your request.

Lisa Fischer - Section 25 - Fall 2009

2009-11-05T16:39:00.016-06:00

Hi everyone! Here are my responses to the questions you submitted at the end of our library research class on Thursday. I'll do my best to explain things, but if you still have questions, please email me and/or post a comment below. -- Jamie Schmid (Your ENGL-190 Librarian)

"Is CNN a scholarly source?"

No, CNN (the Web site and the cable channel) is not a scholarly source. You may want to review this video which goes over the difference between scholarly and popular periodicals.

"How long does it take for a book to come back after it is requested?"

It take about 2-3 business days for books requested via the MOBIUS Catalog to come in (if there's an available copy.) If you've requested a SLU book that's currently checked out, you'll want to look at the book's due date. It may be returned before this date, but it may not. Your best bet is usually to go ahead and order a copy via MOBIUS if SLU copies are checked out.

I'm unclear on "how to save articles so you don't have to go back and search for the articles every time."

I've created two short videos which demonstrate how to mark several articles in databases and email them to yourself. The first shows this in Academic Search Premier and the second demonstrates this in LexisNexis Academic.

"I notice the difference between scholarly journals and popular magazines. But I've found that most of the resources I'm looking for are published in economic magazines or news magazines. It is okay to use these sources?"

It's okay to use these sources for your upcoming assignment, but you'll want to try to use a couple of scholarly sources as well. Maybe you could find articles published in a scholarly economics journal. You could find articles like this using an Economics database such as EconLit. Another option would be to try searching a business database. I'd recommend Business Source Premier and ABI/INFORM Complete.

"There is just so much information, it's hard to put in the right key words in order to find what I really need."

I'd recommend that you think about the main concepts of your research topic and write them down. Then below each concept, write down synonyms and similar keywords and concepts. You can then use these keywords when you search databases for articles. The most important thing is to be flexible! If you try one search and you don't get any results, try something else. The research process involves a lot of trial and error. Also, if you need advice about a specific search strategy, please email me. I'd be happy to help you!

I'm unclear on "how to get the full text of some articles."
AND
I'm unclear on "the access to the links of the related articles from other databases."

You can use the FIND IT @ SLU button to see if an article is available in another database or in print in the library. If it's available online, you can click on the "article" link that's listed under Step 1. If it's not available, you can go to Step 2 to search and see if it's available in the library in print. If the article isn't available electronically or in print, you can go to Step 3 to place an interlibrary loan request for the article. We'll get it for you from another library and email it to your SLU email account.

I hope this blog post helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I'm happy to help you!

LIsa Fischer - Section 24 - Fall 2009

2009-11-05T16:33:00.025-06:00

Hi everyone! Here are my responses to the questions you submitted at the end of our library research class on Thursday. I'll do my best to explain things, but if you still have questions, please email me and/or post a comment below. -- Jamie Schmid (Your ENGL-190 Librarian)

I'm still unclear on "how to cite."

I'd recommend that you consult The OWL at Purdue's MLA 2009 Formatting and Style Guide. We also have the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 7th ed. at the Pius Library Reference Desk. You can stop by and consult it and ask any specific questions you have. We'll be happy to help you!

"I found a relevant article. How do you cite it if I open it with a database and as an article?"

There is a special way to cite articles that you find in online databases. This information can be found on the OWL at Purdue's MLA 2009 Formatting & Style Guide pages. Look for the section on citing an Article from an Online Database (or Other Electronic Subscription Service).

"Can we send ourselves the MLA citation along with the newspaper article we email?"

Some library databases offer this option (Academic Search Premier) and some do not (LexisNexis Academic). In Academic Search Premier, this option is included on the Email Manager page. Please take a look at this short video about the Academic Search Premier Citation Tool created by Pius Library Reference Librarian Martha Allen. Please note that you'll want to use MLA style, not APA, for your ENGL190 assignments.

I'm unclear on "how to obtain an issue of a scholarly journal available at the storage facility."

If you'd like to request an entire volume of a journal that's at the Locust Street Library Facility (LSLF), you can use the Request button in the Library Catalog. The volume will be delivered to Pius Library for you to use there. If you only need the article, you can click on the link in the catalog that says "SLU Patrons Request Digital Article via ILLiad Document Delivery System." You'll fill out a request form, we'll scan it for you at the LSLF, and email it to you at your SLU email account.

I'm still unclear on "finding reliable sources via EBSCOhost."

There are plenty of reliable sources in EBSCOhost databases such as Academic Search Premier, which we used in class. Just because a source is not considered scholarly, it doesn't mean it's not reliable. If you'd like to limit your search results to scholarly sources, you can click on the Academic Journals link on the left of your results page. Here's an Academic Search Premier screenshot that illustrates this.

"Using the search databases by certain subjects (psychology) is confusing to use."
AND
"This wasn't addressed, but I have trouble using databases like PubMed and Ovid. Any suggestions or pieces of advice would be helpful!"

I'm going to combine my response for these questions, because I think you're both referring to the difficulty of using Ovid databases like PubMed and PsycINFO. These databases contain different articles, but they're both produced by the same company and have the same interface. I've created a short video to demonstrate how to use Ovid databases.

"What happens if I am still having trouble finding information because my topic is a fairly new issue."

Library databases like LexisNexis Academic and Academic Search Premier include really recent articles. You should be able to use them to find information on your topic, even if it's very current. Would you mind emailing me information about your topic? Then I can get back to you with some concrete suggestions.

I'm still unclear on "a research guide that talks about medical issues and effects of procedures such as CPR on patients."

Do you mean that you'd like to find articles on this topic? I'd recommend that you search Academic Search Premier or a health and medicine database like MEDLINE to find articles. You could try searches like these.

CPR AND effects AND patients
CPR AND first aid AND effects AND patients
resuscitation AND effects

You also might be interested in these CPR books which are available at the Medical Center Library.

I hope this blog post helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I'm happy to help you!

ENGL 190-03 - Ina Seethaler - Fall 2009

2009-11-04T13:32:00.013-06:00

It was a pleasure meeting with you all today (11/04). Many of you have questions related to finding materials for research. With so many options, the task can seem a bit overwhelming. As you progress in your classes in your area of study you will become familiar with the important resources (databases) in your field as well as how to search them. I will try to answer specific concerns here.

How to maneuver through Pius Library and what do the different levels in Pius contain?

Please view the Tour located at http://libraries.slu.edu/help/tour/index.html. It should give you a basic understanding of what resources are on which floors. As you enter Pius Library the Access Services (Circulation) desk is on your right and the Cafe is on your left. The Reference Department and the iCommons (with 60 public use computers) is just ahead and to the right.

To find out which books are located on which floor, check out the Location Guide at http://libraries.slu.edu/about/locatgde.html. This Guide is linked from Pius Library under Location for each book or other resource in the SLU Library Catalog.

Where in the Library do you go to talk to a librarian?

Go to the reference desk in the iCommons (see answer above for location), or email or call your English A190 librarian. Librarians are usually available

Sundays - Noon to 10:00 pm
Mondays through Thursdays - 8:30 am to 10:00 pm
Fridays - 8:30 am to 5:00 pm
Saturdays - Noon to 6:00 pm

or

contact your English A190 librarian for an appointment using the contact information at http://libguides.slu.edu/EnglishA190-03-09.

Can I have an escort?

Yes, you can call Public Safety at 314-977-RIDE and request an escort. See the SLU Ride Program for more information.

How do I locate articles that are not full text in the database I am searching, find a particular article I need and use Interlibrary Loan, if necessary? (This is a combination of three separate questions.)

If you are searching a database and the full text or pdf of the article is not available there, click on the Find It @ SLU button to bring up the Article Linker page. This page will give you options for locating or requesting the needed article. The Article Linker page provides you with 3 options or steps.

Step 1: If the full text (it may not be in pdf), is available, Step 1 provides you with one or more options for getting the article. Start by clicking on the Article link. If that does not work, go back and click on the Journal link and browse to the journal article using the date, volume, and issue number of the article.
Step 2: If there are no entries in Step 1, click on the "Journal title" choice to automatically search the SLU Library Catalog to see if SLU has the journal in print that contains your article. Make a trip to Pius Library to get the article or if the article is at the Locust Street Library Facility, place a request for it using the link in the Catalog. It will be delivered electronically to you via a link in an email.
Step 3: If SLU does not have the article online or in print, place a request through Interlibrary Loan/ILLiad. Click on the Pius Library link in Step 3 to get started. You will first need to create an account, then make your request. SLU's Interlibrary Loan/ILLiad staff will locate your article and either deliver it to you electronically via a link in an email they will send to you or if the article is only available in print, the email will notify you that the article is ready to be picked up at the Access Services (Circulation) desk.

Books: When you search for a book in the Library Catalog and SLU does not have it, click the gold Search MOBIUS button to see if another MOBIUS Library has the book. If so, you can request it right there. Just click on "REQUEST THIS ITEM" and follow the prompts to request the book and have it delivered to Pius Library (or the Medical Center Library, if you prefer).

One final tip: All online journals available to SLU are listed in the SLU Library Catalog and in the E-Journal Portal along with the dates available.

How do I cite an online journal?
The proper method for citing an online journal depends upon the style manual that you are asked (or choose) to use. The primary ones are MLA, APA, and Chicago Style Manual. Copies are available at the Pius Library reference desk. There are also some helpful online sources for these citation styles. Please see Style Guides and Manuals under Selected Web Sites in the Research tab for some options.

ENG 190-05 Hoeynck

2009-10-23T11:08:00.002-05:00

Greetings! Several made comments or had questions to which I'll try to respond here. If you have further questions, or any time you need help in the library, don't hesitate to ask a reference librarian.

I am still confused about how to access a book or periodical that is not available in SLU's library.

If SLU's library does not own a book you need, check the MOBIUS catalog which we looked at during the first session in September. If there is a MOBIUS copy available, you can request it by clicking on the "Request this item" link.

If no MOBIUS copy is available, you can submit an interlibrary loan request through ILLiad. Just remember that getting a book through interlibrary loan takes longer (1 to 2 weeks is average).

For journal articles, if SLU doesn't have something electronically or in print, submit an interlibrary loan request through ILLiad and use the "request a photocopy" form.

I was unclear on which database was best for my research. When I went into a database subject, there are many options. I'm unsure what the difference between these options are.

another similar comment

I still feel a bit unclear about how I should decide which database to start with and which databases would be helpful in searching for information on such a specific topic.

I sympathize, there are so many options that it is sometime difficult to know which one to choose. And we don't assume that you will know which database to choose. That's why, if you're unsure, it's best to ask a reference librarian for help. We try to find out exactly what it is you're looking for (we may ask you several questions to do that) and determine which database is best for your particular research need. If your research is in a subject field in which the reference librarian is not that familiar with the databases, we can refer you to the reference librarian who specializes in that field.

I'm confused about how ILLiad works. If I had directions about how to use it, it would be helpful.

You might look at the Interlibrary Loan FAQ which may clarify some things for you. You can also come by the reference desk where a reference librarian will be glad to walk you through the process.

I still am unclear how to go about finding & decoding the call # on an article/book in the library, even if I found it online.

I can't recall if I mentioned this in the first session (I know I didn't today) but there is a call number location guide (printed copies of this are available at the circulation desk and reference desk) which will tell where in the library you can find a particular call number. That's really the only "decoding" of the call #s you need to do; you do not need to know, for example, that all E call #s are American history. Think of the call # as the book's address in the library.

Where are the on file journal articles stored? all in one place or integrated through the whole library by subject?

There are 3 places where a journal might be shelved in Pius Library. The first is in "Current Periodicals" (on the lower level just outside the classroom) where current year periodicals/periodicals from the last 12 months are shelved. The second is on microfilm which is stored in cabinets, also on the lower level. The third place is for those journals from previous years which have been bound and put on shelves throughout the library. In all three cases, the journals are shelved by call number, in terms of your question, they are "integrated through the whole library by subject." You can get the call number for any journal/magazine/newspaper by doing a "Journal Title" search in the library catalog.

Also, remember that most pre-2000 journals are now housed at the Locust Street Facility; you can request digital copies of articles from journals kept there through ILLiad.

How to fully use a database [is still unclear]

There are a number of aspects of database searching that I didn't have time to get into in today's sessions. Most databases have a number of functionalities and search capabilities that will allow you to do almost anything you want to do. If there is something in particular you would like to do in a database, just ask a reference librarian for help. It's what we're here for!

I know when searching for articles I will find it hard to search the correct topic. Every time the librarian clicks on a link I don't know exactly what he clicks on.

As always, if you're stuck, ask for help. It isn't always easiest to follow what I'm doing in the classroom (sometimes I go too fast) and the screen at the front can be difficult to see.

Our librarian couldn't help at all with our assignment, to be honest. The large majority of the class is choosing a software program, and we still have no idea where to go for it.

I saved my favorite comment for last. I will be the first to confess that this research topic (especially researching software) is not my area of expertise. Frankly, before today, I have never looked at the databases listed under "Computer Science." That's why we have reference librarians who specialize in different subjects. We have a reference librarian who is designated as the "electronic resources librarian" who knows a lot more about computers and software than I do. So I hope that you will still be willing to ask a reference librarian to help you; if that particular librarian cannot, then we will try to find someone who can!

English 190 - Section 17 - Mr. Rayner

2009-10-22T09:38:00.000-05:00

Hi All,
Hope you all had a nice fall break. I looked over the one-minute papers and there were two areas of confusion - subject databases and creating citations.

Subject Databases - The library subscribes to a number of subject databases. These databases are focused in coverage as opposed to the wide variety to topics found in general databases like Academic Search Premier and LexisNexis. Examples of a subject database include ERIC (an education database), PsycINFO (one of the definitive databases for psychological research), and ABI/INFORM (one of many business databases). For scholarly articles on a specific topic, please check the list of databases divided into subject categories http://libraries.slu.edu/databases/databases.cfm#dbname .

Creating Citations Using Academic Search Premier - Click on the link to watch a short tutorial using the citation creation tool in Academic Search Premier.

Remember - If you have any questions or need help finding resources, please contact me at allenmh@slu.edu or 314-977-3596.

Thanks and see you in the library,
Martha

ENG 190--21 Turner

2009-10-15T16:44:00.002-05:00

Greetings! I hope the session in the library was helpful to you. Several of you had comments or questions that I'll try to answer below. As always, if something is still unclear or you have any question about the library, don't hesitate to ask a reference librarian for help.

"All the different ways to find different sources. There's so many so it's hard to remember."[in response to question about what is still unclear]

I sympathize, with somewhere 150 and 200 databases available, it's hard even for librarians to remember them all! If you are unsure about which database to use or how to search a particular database, just ask a reference librarian for help; we're more than happy to do that.

"What is microfilm?"

Microfilm is literally a strip of film (stored on small reels) containing images of pages of articles in magazines and journals. Libraries purchase back issues of some magazines in microfilm to save shelf space and microfilm, in theory at least, is longer lasting than paper copies (less likely to deteriorate).

Someone also asked about how to use the microfilm. There are microfilm reader/printers located close to the microfilm cabinets on the lower level of Pius library. There are student workers who staff the service desk there who can assist you in using these machines. It is possible to make printed copies from the microfilm (10 cents/page using Billiken Bucks) or you can create a pdf. from the microfilm in which case you will want to bring a flash drive with you.

"Where are films in the library?"

The library purchases a limited number of DVDs for educational purposes; some of these are DVDs of movies and TV shows; many of them are non-fiction, documentary type materials. You can find DVDs by searching by title (of a movie or TV show, for example) in the catalog. You can also browse the DVD collection on the lower level of Pius Library; the DVDs and other media-type material are shelved by call number.

"What material can we not check out?"

Basically, the things you cannot check out include anything that is part of the reference collection on the first floor or anything located on another floor of the library that the library catalog indicates is for "Library use only" (for example, bound volumes of periodicals and special collections materials in the St. Louis Room). If you're unsure whether something can be checked out, ask at the reference desk or circulation desk.

"How long can we check material out?"

The loan period for books is 3 weeks with unlimited renewals for books borrowed from SLU and up to 2 renewals for items borrowed from MOBIUS. Loan periods vary for materials other than books (such as DVDs), see the circulation policies page for complete information on loan periods.

"What about fines?"

The fine is 10 cents per day for materials from the general collection and 25 cents per hour for reserve material. Complete information on fines/overdue and lost books is available on this page.

"How to find your book on the actual shelf."

The library Location Guide indicates which call numbers are on which floors. Paper copies of this guide are available at the reference desk and circulation desk.

"What do you do if your book is not on the shelf?" "What if you can't find your book?"

I'm putting these together because they are similar.

For the first question, make sure that the book you are looking for is not checked out. If it is, the due date will appear in the library catalog under "Status." If the "status" is "not checked out" but the book is not on the shelf, go to the circulation desk and ask to have a search put on for the book. Sometimes, a book has been checked in but simply hasn't been placed back on the shelf yet. If the Pius copy isn't immediately available, you can request a copy from MOBIUS if another MOBIUS library has it. If no MOBIUS library has it, you can request it through interlibrary loan.

To the second question, if you're having trouble locating a book in the library, ask a reference librarian for help. Sometimes books do get misshelved or call numbers can be difficult to read or whatever. Just ask!

"Viewing the database once one is found" [is still unclear]

I'm not sure what you mean by this, but once you find a database in the subject list, for example, just click on the link to go to the database. But I suspect that something else may be behind your question; if so, feel free to ask a librarian for help or send me an e-mail (crownrw@slu.edu).

ENG 190--08 Tuttle

2009-10-15T15:49:00.002-05:00

Greetings! Several of you wrote comments/questions on the response form which I'll try to answer. If you need additional information, stop by the reference desk or call the reference desk at 977-3103.
Ron Crown
Reference Librarian

"When are they going to change the Lewis Annex?"

Not sure what you mean by "change" but for the time being, Lewis Annex will remain as it currently is. It's confusing, I know, but just keep in mind that Level 4 of the annex connects with Level 2 of Pius Library. You also might enjoy the following (semi-serious) video "Trapped in the Lewis Annex."

"I am still a little bit confused about article searches for databases."

That's entirely understandable since we have so many (150+) possible sources for finding articles. This best thing to do if you're not sure which database to use or how best to search in the database is to ask a reference librarian for help. Please don't hesitate to do that, it's what we're here for!

"Are there any floors for strictly study above level 2?"

In theory, the entire library is available for study but that doesn't always turn out to be the case. If you need a quiet place to study, it's possible to reserve one of the rooms on the upper floor (especially for group study). You can do that at the circulation desk. Ask there what rooms and what times are available.

"The difference in some of the ways you can search" [is still unclear]

Don't hesitate to ask a reference librarian for help!

"What is my ILLiad account?"

Your ILLiad account is the account you set up to be able to make interlibrary loan requests and document delivery requests for items kept at the Locust Street facility. Here is a direct link to the ILLiad login page; to set up your account, click on "First-time users" and at the bottom of the user information page, you will see a button that says "First time users click here." That will take you to the form to fill out to create your account. You can make your username and password whatever you want; they do not have to be the same as your Banner ID and password.

"What is Boolean?"

"Boolean" refers to a kind of algebraic logic but for library purposes, all you need to know is that the important "Boolean" operators are used in search statements you use when searching a database and that the main "operators" are AND and OR. If you type in a statement such as "Southern states AND Food," the search will retrieve only items containing all of the search terms connected by AND. If you type in a statement such as "Cooks OR Cookery OR Food," the search will retrieve all records that contain any of the terms connected by OR; in other words, a record does not have to contain all three terms or even two of them. AND narrows a search; OR broadens a search.

That may be a little complicated but you can usually catch on fast and using Boolean operators is a great way to refine and adjust any search in a database.

"Do you need to go to the medical library or does that also get sent through ILLiad or MOBIUS?"

You can request any book at either the medical library or the law library directly from the SLU catalog (you do not need to use MOBIUS or ILLiad).

"I got kind of confused about what he meant having the full article of a peer journal." (writing was a little unclear on this; I hope I've got this right)

If I understand your comment; there are 2 parts of your question. One is that when searching in journal databases, you can get the full-text of articles (both popular magazines and peer-reviewed journals) some of the time; other times you will only get a bibliographic citation telling you the author name, title of the article, name of the journal, date, pages, etc. in which case you will need to find out whether the library has the journal in printed form or on microfilm (if it isn't available electronically in another database).

The concept of a scholarly or "peer-reviewed" journal has to do with the process that takes place prior to publication; do other scholars in the field review the article to make sure it passes muster? Whether a journal is available electronically in full-text is not related to whether it's is peer-reviewed or not.

But perhaps I am not interpreting your question correctly. Please let me know if I haven't. (crownrw@slu.edu)

"Where to find call numbers."

Use the library Location Guide to find out which call numbers are on which floors. We have paper copies of this guide at the reference desk and the circulation desk if you want to pick one up.

As always, never hesitate to ask a librarian for help any time you have a question about the library.

Rayner English 190 Section 34 Fall 2009

2009-10-15T12:48:00.003-05:00

Hi everyone,
Here are my responses to the questions you posed when you filled out the assessment Tuesday.
If any other questions come up don't hesitate to contact me at gillesj@slu.edu. Good luck with your research.

Jane Gillespie

I'm still a little confused about finding books in the library.

That's okay, this is a pretty big library. The more often you find books, the easier it is. First find the book in the library catalog. Notice the location (the catalog record will say "Pius Library" if the book is in the general collection), the call number and the status. If a book in the general collection is on the shelf the catalog record will say "available" in the status area. (Remember if the book is checked out, search MOBIUS to see if the book is available at another library.)

Write down the call number of the book. Look at a location guide to determine where books with that call number are located in the library then go to the correct area of the library. The online library tour might help you get oriented to the library or you can just wander around. Look at the little white tags on the end of each set of book shelves to find where your book is located.
It is easier if you just look at information before the decimal point in the call number at first, then look at the whole call number once you find the right shelf. Here is a tip sheet that shows you how to read call numbers.

Remember, if you have trouble finding a book you should always ask for help at the Reference Desk.

Which floor has what books?

The location guide tells you which floors have what books. Circulating books are located on floors 1-4 of Lewis Annex and floors 2-5 of Pius Library. Tip-use the elevator to go between floors in the Lewis Annex--it is much less confusing than using the stairs.

How do I get to the full text of an article when I am using PubMed?

PubMed is a free database that contains abstracts and some freely available journal articles. Anyone with access to a computer can use PubMed. Many of the journal articles that are abstracted in PubMed are not freely available. SLU has subscriptions to many journals that are abstracted in PubMed but that will not be obvious to you unless you access PubMed via the SLU database list on the library home page. If you access PubMed through the Library instead of via the "open web" it will be configured properly and show the 'Find it at SLU" button that will lead you to the full text of the journals subscribed to by SLU.

Moy Engl190-27

2009-10-12T09:16:00.005-05:00

Hi everyone,
I wanted to answer a few questions you submitted at the end of class last week.
If you have additional questions just email me at gillesj@slu.edu.

A few people still had questions about finding books and the call number system.
Here is a review of how to find a book.

Search the library catalog at libraries.slu.edu. You can search by title, author, keyword or subject. When you see a book you would like to check out, look at the catalog record for the book. Notice the location (Pius Library, Pius Reference etc.). The location code for books in the general collection is "Pius Library". Notice the status also. If the status is "available" the book should be on the shelf. If the book says something like "due 10-28-09" then it is checked out and you can try to get it from MOBIUS. So, if the book has a location code of "Pius Library" and the status is "available" then it should be on the shelf. Next, you need to write down the call number from the catalog record and use the location guide to see where that call number is shelved in the library. Location guides are at the reference desk and available online (libraries.slu.edu/about/locatgde.html">

Here is a tip sheet that explains how to read a call number:

Is the library divided into sections like fiction and nonfiction?

There are different sections in Pius Library for different types of materials. For example, current periodicals are on the lower level and Reference books are on the first floor. Pius Library is different from a typical public library where nonfiction books are organized by their Dewey Decimal call number and fiction books are organized by the author's last name. In Pius Library, fiction books also have a call number. The call number for English literature starts with PR and the call number for American literature starts with PS.

Are there other things to check out besides books?
Yes, we have DVD's, some audio books and CD's. All of these items are located on the lower level of Pius Library just outside of the classroom where we met.

Good luck with your research!

Jane Gillespie

Emily Tuttle ENG 190-29

2009-10-06T14:51:00.003-05:00

Hi, guys,

several of you had comments/questions after the session which I'll try to answer here.

1. a couple of you were unsure about defining what is scholarly and qualifies as peer-reviewed. If in doubt about whether a journal is a scholarly one or not, there are several things you can look for. Are there lots of footnotes, graphs, or diagrams, etc. accompanying the article? Are the author's academic qualifications (faculty position, degrees, etc.) indicated anywhere? If the answer is yes, it's probably a scholarly journal. If you're still unsure, ask a reference librarian for help.

2. Lewis Annex--Lewis Annex is indeed challenging; we keep a printed map of the annex with directions on how to get there at the reference desk. Feel free to pick one up or ask for directions there. You might also enjoy this semi-serious video "Trapped in the Lewis Annex!"

3. If you are still unsure about using the library's online catalog; please review the online tutorial "Finding Books in the St. Louis University Libraries" or ask for help at the reference desk.

4. Someone asked about checking out board games. I think you may be referring to materials from the curriculum collection (just outside the library classroom we were in) which is used primarily by education majors. Students can check these materials for 2 weeks but the loans are not renewable.

5. Another comment had to do either with renewing books or finding book reviews; since I'm not sure which; I'll give an answer for both! You can renew books by logging in to your library account from the library catalog (click on the "My Library Account" tab); if you have not yet created your account, you will see instructions for doing that. Further information about loan periods and renewals is available here.

Book reviews are available in a number of sources. This guide lists many of them. The best place to look for reviews depends on what kind of book it is (popular or scholarly) and what subject it's about. Ask a reference librarian for guidance about the best place to look.

7. Another question was "where are each of the categories located?" I assume this means where are the different subjects shelved in the library. Books are shelved by call number which, of course, designate the subject of the book. One thing I forgot to mention during the session is the location guide which indicates what call numbers are found on what floors of the library. There are printed copies of this guide available at the reference desk and the circulation desk for you to take with you. Find the range within which a call number falls; that's where the item will be. If you are uncertain about a book's (or a journal's) location, ask a librarian.

8. Someone also asked about study rooms in the library. There are a limited number of rooms for group study available in the library which can be reserved at the circulation desk on a first-come, first-served basis. Check at the circulation desk for details.

Finally, someone lamented (understandably enough after the information overload from the session) "I just feel like the library is big and intimidating and that I wouldn't know how to get around." I sympathize, this library takes some getting used to. But never hesitate to ask for help. That's what we're here for!

If you have further questions, please contact me at crownrw@slu.edu or 977-3083.
Best,
Ron Crown

Sarah Schwab - Section 39 - Fall 2009

2009-10-06T13:05:00.008-05:00

Hi everyone! Here are my responses to the questions you submitted at the end of our library research class yesterday. I'll do my best to explain things, but if you still have questions, please email me and/or post a comment below. -- Jamie Schmid (Your ENGL-190 Librarian)

"Can we cite the online full-text version (of an article) the same way as if it were the print version?"

There is a special way to cite articles that you find in online databases. This information can be found on the OWL at Purdue's MLA 2009 Formatting & Style Guide pages. Look for the section on citing an Article from an Online Database (or Other Electronic Subscription Service).

"Another thing that might be confusing is navigating Pius."

It can be challenging to navigate a large library. Please let library staff members know if you're having trouble finding anything. We're happy to help! You can also go to the Reference Desk on the 1st floor if you have any questions.

"How do you navigate between the search engines and the SLU library catalog?"

I'm assuming that by search engines you're referring to the library's subscription databases. Is that right? When you're in the databases and looking for the full text of an article, you'll find buttons that say "Find It At SLU." This button will take you to an Article Linker page which will link you to other library databases and the library catalog.

There are also links in the library catalog to online journals that are available in library databases. So really, both kinds of resources link to each other. Of course you can always search them separately or have two browser windows open while using them. Does that answer your question?

"Would you suggest using the journal and magazine sources for finding more up-to-date information (as to using books)?"

You will find more information about very recent events in newspapers, magazines, and journals. However, the library is constantly adding new books to the collection. You'll be able to find books that have been published very recently, so I wouldn't rule out looking at books. Your best bet is to look at both. Also, articles tend to be very focused on narrow topics. For a general overview of a topic, I would look for books.

I'm still unclear on "how to judge if something is a scholarly or popular source from the SLU database."

In the database Academic Search Premier, you can limit your search results to those published in Academic Journals. Here's an Academic Search Premier screenshot that illustrates this.

I'm still unclear on "identifying different tabs on the main page, memorizing layouts and locations of main tabs."

Are you referring to the Freshman Writing Program Research Guide? You really don't need to memorize anything that's on this guide. It's broken down into different types of resources that you may want to use in your research - Reference Sources, Books, Articles, etc. You could also use the SLU Libraries Web site and explore the Finding Books and Finding Articles sections.

I'm still unclear on "Google Scholar vs. library databases."

Google Scholar is a search engine that's freely available on the Web. It does a very broad search of scholarly information available on the Web. Usually, though, to access the actual content, you'll need to click on a "Full Text Options at SLU." This button will allow you to access articles via SLU Library Databases (subscription resources paid for by the library). So, you're still using the library databases, just not the search interface. Sometimes you'll also see references for books in Google Scholar and you'll need to search the SLU Library Catalog to see if the SLU Libraries have the book that you need.

"I still have trouble finding the books in the library. What does the S.82 mean? I understand how to do it in the computer, just not finding it."

I'd recommend that you take a look at this site which covers how to read call numbers in an academic library. This Library of Congress classification guide will also show you how the collection is arranged by subject and these subjects are represented by different letters.

"The online articles I think will be most useful. There will be no need to carry another book back and forth."

I'm glad that you think the online articles will be useful, but that does mean that you won't need to use books anymore! Articles tend to be very narrowly focused. You'll definitely want to access the kind of broad coverage that books provide on your topic.

I hope this blog post helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I'm happy to help you!

Hawkins English 190 class

2009-09-21T16:08:00.002-05:00

Hello,
Here are my responses to the questions you asked about the library on the evaluations you filled out last Thursday. Feel free to contact me (gillesj@slu.edu) if any more library questions come up during the semester. Good luck with your research! ~ Jane Gillespie - Pius Library

How do I get to the library search engines?
I think you mean database when you say "library search engine". The database is what you can use to find articles on a topic. Academic Search Premier is a database.
Go to libraries.slu.edu. Underneath the "Find an Article" section of the page, click on "Browse databases by name" or "Browse databases by subject".

How do I go from the database to find an article in the library?
The article might be in the database. If it is you will see a link that says "HTML full text" or "PDF full text". If you see one of those links, just click on it to get to the full text. If not, click on the "find it at SLU" button and follow the directions.

I'm still confused about how to find a book using the call number.
Use the location guide (http://libraries.slu.edu/about/locatgde.html)
to find out where that call number is shelved in the library. If you have trouble
locating a book don't hesitate to ask for help at the reference desk.

How long does it take for an ordered article to arrive?
It usually takes a few days for an article you ordered through
interlibrary loan to arrive.

What are the library hours?
Here is a link to the hours for Fall 2009.
http://libraries.slu.edu/about/hours/hfall09.html

What are the differences between the floors in the library?
I'm not exactly sure what you mean, but you can click
through our virtual library tour to get an idea of what is
on each floor. http://libraries.slu.edu/help/tour/index.html

Can you intern at the library?
We don't have a formal internship program but several of
our student assistants have gone on to become librarians after
getting their graduate degree in library science. If you are
interested in librarianship as a career choice, I'd be happy
to tell you about it over a cup of coffee. Just email me if
you are interested.

Beth Human English 190 - Section 35-MWF 8:00-8:50

2009-09-15T10:56:00.002-05:00

Hello: Here are some responses to the questions you posed after your library session last week. If you have any further questions, please contact me at gregorypl@slu.edu
Pat Gregory

Are there computers on each floor? There are computer terminals on each floor that you may use to search the library catalog, but that is their only function.

Are there books such as novels to check out? Yes, we have an extensive fiction section located on Level 4 mainly in the PRs and PSs. Just search the catalog for the author or title you are interested in at libcat.slu.edu

Beth Human English 190 - Section 04-MWF 9:00

2009-09-15T10:26:00.004-05:00

Hi everyone! Here are my responses to the questions you submitted at the end of our library research class last week . If you still have questions, please contact me at gregorypl@slu.edu. Pat Gregory

Where is the Locust Street Facility? This facility is a few blocks away, but you don't need to actually go there unless you wish to use some older materials that are stored there for research. Otherwise, you can request anything you need through Interlibrary Loan at this link
http://illiad.slu.edu/illiad/xii/logon.html

How long can you check out books? 21 days

What is the overdue policy? For undergraduates, you can check out most books from SLU libraries and from MOBIUS for 21 days; media for 7 days. Overdue fines are 10 cents per day.

Is there a fiction section? Yes, we have an extensive fiction section, most of which is located on Level 4 in the PR or PS section. Simply look up your author or title and
go check it out. http://libcat.slu.edu/

What are the library's hours? You can find these on the libraries home page at
http://libraries.slu.edu/about/hours/hfall09.html

Where are more study rooms? The study rooms can be booked for 3 hours. There are 6 seminar rooms, 9 singles, and 8 doubles, located on Levels 4 and 5. You can reserve these at the Access Services desk near the entrance with your i..d.

Chris Dickman - Section 2 (MTWR 1:30-3:00) Summer 2009

2009-07-08T18:56:00.004-05:00

Janice McIntire-Strasburg - Section 1 (MTWR 1:30-3:00) Summer 2009

2009-05-27T13:30:00.006-05:00

Emily Tuttle - English 190 - MWF 9:00-9:50

2009-04-15T09:39:00.004-05:00

April 1 Pius Library session

I've looked over your questions on our April 1st library visit, and the only question that some of you seem to have is regarding interlibrary loan. For interlibrary loan of materials that Pius Library does not have available, you may follow these guidelines:

Books - use Interlibrary loan if you have already checked SLU libraries, then MOBIUS libraries. The book will then be sent to you from another library selected by our Interlibrary Loan department staff.
Journal/Periodical articles - use Interlibrary loan if article is not available in print or electronic format in SLU libraries. Interlibrary loan form calls these photocopies.

Good luck with your research papers. Please contact me if you have any library questions. You might want to check the other English 190 blog posts for interesting information.
Pat Gregory, gregorypl@slu.edu, 977-3107

Kami Hancock - English 190 - Section 1, 8:00-8:50am

2009-04-15T09:25:00.004-05:00

Hello: I looked over your responses from today's April 15th library session, and the only question that some of you seem to have is regarding interlibrary loan. For interlibrary loan of materials that Pius Library does not have available, you may follow these guidelines:

Books - use Interlibrary loan if you have already checked SLU libraries, then MOBIUS libraries. The book will then be sent to you from another library selected by our Interlibrary Loan department staff.
Journal/Periodical articles - use Interlibrary loan if article is not available in print or electronic format in SLU libraries. Interlibrary loan form calls these photocopies.

Good luck with your research papers. Please contact me if you have any library questions. You might want to check the other English 190 blog posts for interesting information.

Pat Gregory, gregorypl@slu.edu, 977-3107

Kenan Kadic -- English 190 -- Section 21

2009-04-09T02:06:00.005-05:00

Hello Everyone,

Please see below my responses to the questions you wrote on the one-minute papers at the end of our recent class session at Pius Library. Don't hesitate to contact me if you need assistance with the research assignments for this course.

Dr. Joseph

(1) Where is the best place to study?

Well, the answer is...it depends...on you! Each floor of the library has its own sort of "personality" and you probably will prefer some to others. I suggest you rotate among different areas to see what best fits your needs.

(2) I'm unclear about how to find the location of a book.

From your wording, I'm assuming you're comfortable using the SLU Libraries Catalog to search for books on your topic, but aren't sure how to find the shelf location of the books you want to read. (If this interpretation is incorrect, please contact me for clarification!) All you need to do is write down the complete Library of Congress call number for the books you want (these numbers are in the Catalog record) and then consult a Location Guide to find out the floor location where the books are shelved. The Location Guide is available online (see http://libraries.slu.edu/about/locatgde.html ) but handy printed copies are posted by the elevators and the secondary stairwells, plus you can pick up a small copy at the Circulation, Reference, and Serials service desks to carry around with you.

To use the location guide, regardless of its format, take the letters that start your call number and plug them into the appropriate range on the guide. For example, if your call number starts with LB 1234, you’ll see that the LB comes between the range HX – ML 20 on the guide. And that location is Level 4 – South. One thing – when you jot down the call numbers for books (or anything, for that matter), be sure to note the Location information in the Catalog Record. There are a number of “special” locations that indicate a book is shelved in a particular part of Pius. So if the location for the book with the call number that starts LB 1234 is given as Pius Reference, that book is in the reference collection on Level 1 – South. If you get turned around, ask for help at one of the service desks.

Lastly, if the Catalog indicates that books you need are at the LSSF (Locust Street Storage Facility), you'll be able to use links in the Catalog to place requests for them to be delivered to Pius for you to pick up and check out.

Lisa Fischer - Section 20 (TTH 9:30 - 10:45 a.m.)

2009-04-06T12:03:00.041-05:00

Hi everyone! Here are my responses to the questions you submitted at the end of our library research class on Thursday, April 2. I'll do my best to explain things, but if you still have questions, please email me and/or post a comment below. -- Jamie Schmid (Your ENGL-190 Librarian)

"Can I do my research on my laptop?"

Yes, you can! Just go to libraries.slu.edu and you'll be able to access all of the resources we used in class. You may have to log on to subscription databases with your SLUNetID and password.

"I still find searching by Journal title confusing or finding a specific article. Books are fine, but the articles, the actual article, is unclear. I saw the links, but never the actual article."

AND

"I had some trouble with the original search at the beginning of class."

Here are the steps you need to follow to find a specific article. Hopefully this will help.

1. Search by journal title in the SLU Libraries Catalog.
2. If you find a print journal record, check to see which library has the journal, what dates are available, what the call number is, and which floor it's located on. (Click on the link under "Location", not the call number link.)
3. Go find the journal on the shelf. Find the volume you need, then the issue, then the right page number.
4. Photocopy the article.
5. If the journal is available electronically, click on the "SLU Online Journal, click to access" link.
6. Check to see which database has the year that you need.
7. Click on the name of the database.
8. Browse the journal by year, volume, and issue.
9. Browse through all articles in the issue to find the one you're looking for.
10. Click on the article title to access the actual article.

If you had problems finding the actual article when using the Find it at SLU button and Article Linker page, please see my response to the next question.

I'm unclear on "how to find an article when it says Find @ SLU."

You can use the FIND IT @ SLU button to see if an article is available in another database or in print in the library. If it's available online, you can click on the "article" link that's listed under Step 1. If it's not available, you can go to Step 2 to search and see if it's available in the library in print. If the article isn't available electronically or in print, you can go to Step 3 to place an interlibrary loan request for the article. We'll get it for you from another library and email it to your SLU email account.

I'm unclear on "how to find books after 1998."

Here's a short video that will show you how to limit your SLU Libraries Catalog search to items published after 1998. Make sure you maximize your screen.

"Sometimes I am unclear where to locate books on the shelves."

There are several resources on the Books page of your Freshman Writing Program Research Guide. You might want to rewatch the Finding Books tutorial and check out the content boxes on "How to Get a Book" and "Call Numbers."

"One thing that was a little unclear to me is how to go about finding material at the new off-site location."

While we're in the process of moving materials to the Locust Street Library Facility (LSLF), please ask at the circulation desk on the 1st floor if something you need isn't on the shelf or if you can't get to the shelf because the movers are working there. Our circulation staff will assist you.

Once the move has occurred and items show up in the SLU Libraries Catalog as being off-site at the Locust Street Library Facility, you'll be able to place requests for materials using links in the library catalog. Does this make things any clearer? Please let me know if you have any problems getting materials you need due to the move.

"I'm not sure how to set up a personal account so I can track marked articles."

Are you refering to setting up a personal account in Academic Search Premier? This short video will show you how to set up a My EBSCOhost account. Ebsco is the company that produces Academic Search Premier. Note that this isn't something you have to do. It's definitely optional.

There were also two questions that I read, but wasn't sure what you meant by them. If one of these was your question/comment, please email me and give me a little more information about what you meant. I'd be happy to help you if I can get a little more information.

I'm unclear on "identifying a journal."

"Where are the physical prints that we search?"

I hope this blog post helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I'm happy to help you!

Jamie

David Olsen ENGL-190 Sections 12 and 22

2009-03-17T13:33:00.009-05:00

I will try to address the questions you still had about the library after our instruction sessions. Most of the questions were about using the library databases. If another question comes up or you want more information you can always email me at gillesj@slu.edu.

Good luck with your research! --Jane Gillespie

How can I get to the full text of the article from the list of search results in the Academic Search Premier database?

Sometimes the article is "inside" of the database. In this case, you will see icons and text labeled "pdf full text" and/or "HTML full text". Just click on the link and you will get to the article.

Sometimes the article is "linked" to the database. In this case, click on the "Linked Full Text" link to get to the article. NOTE: We had trouble with this in the 10 AM class and a student mentioned that this had been a problem for him. I didn't notice it at the time but realized later that the Internet Explorer browser was preventing the article from displaying because the popup blocker was turned on. If this happens to you, just turn the popup blocker off. You actually get a message at the top of the browser about the popup blocker but you have to notice that the message is there.

The third possibility is that you need to click on the "Find it at SLU" button. This button takes you to the Article Linker page. Sometimes there is a link (or multiple links if we have access to the article from more than one place) to the full text there. If not, follow the instructions on that page to find the article in a print journal or request it from ILLIAD interlibrary loan.

What other library search engines (a librarian would call them databases) have only scholarly sources?

You are more likely to find articles from scholarly journals in some of the databases that focus on a single discipline such as Biological Abstracts, Social Work Abstracts, etc but many databases have a mix of scholarly and popular sources. Several databases let you limit your results to scholarly sources (they may use a different name such as peer-reviewed journals, academic journals, etc). You can always use the criteria we listed in class to decide for yourself if the article is from a peer reviewed journal.

How do I print out a hard copy of an article?

This depends on the way the article image is set up. For a pdf document, click on the print icon on the upper left hand side of the frame surrounding the article. Sometimes you might need to save a copy of the article to the "my documents" folder on the computer and then print it out from there. If you have trouble with this, ask a librarian or call the Reference Desk at 977-3103.

How do I get to the EBSCOhost?

Remember EBSCO is a company that produces many different databases. We used the Academic Search Premier database from EBSCO in class. You can get to the Academic Search Premier database from the http://libraries.slu.edu page. Put your mouse over the yellow Research tab at the top of this page and then select Databases. From the database page you can choose a database by name from one of the pull-down menu lists. If you scroll further down the database page, you can browse databases by subject or by vendor. You can see a list of all of the databases we get from EBSCO in the "Databases by Vendor" section.

Where is the Writing Center?

The Undergraduate Writing Center has several locations on campus. There is more information here: http://libraries.slu.edu/services/ugwrit.html

The library satellite location is on the third floor of the Anheuser-Busch wing.

Sarah Schwab - Section 15 (MWF 1:10-2:00 p.m.)

2009-03-03T13:23:00.014-06:00

Hi everyone! Here are my responses to the questions you submitted at the end of our library research class on Friday. I'll do my best to explain things, but if you still have questions, please email me and/or post a comment below. -- Jamie Schmid (Your ENGL-190 Librarian)

"How to you find out which libraries have documents you're looking for?"

To find out which libraries have a book you're looking for, you'll first need to search the SLU Libraries Catalog (includes SLU Libraries), then the MOBIUS Library Catalog (includes academic libraries in Missouri and a couple of public libraries). If you don't find what you're looking for in MOBIUS, you can place an Interlibrary Loan (ILLiad) request for the book. You don't need to know where it's available. Library staff will look that up for you. If you want to look this up yourself, you could use the database WorldCat, which is a national library catalog.

When looking for a specific article, search the SLU Libraries Catalog to see if the SLU Libraries have the article in print or online. If it's not available via SLU, you'll want to submit an Interlibrary Loan (ILLiad) request for a photocopy. Again, you don't need to know which libraries have the article. We'll look that up for you. If you wanted to see if a particular journal was available in a MOBIUS library, you could look that up using the MOBIUS Library Catalog.

"The only part I got confused on was about ordering the article online..."

If an article isn't available in print or electronically via SLU, you can place an Interlibrary Loan request for it via the library's ILLiad service. You'll need to set up an account and then fill out the "Request a Photocopy" form. We'll get the article for you from another library and email it to your SLU email account. If you access Interlibrary Loan via a database, as we did in class, you won't even have to fill in the "Request a Photocopy" form. That will happen automatically.

"Are there other resources besides the education databases that would work well (for this assignment)?"

It really depends on what you're researching. Your best bet is to think about your topic and then try to figure our which scholarly disciplines would be most interested in your topic. From there, you can select databases that are geared toward those disciplines.

These are a few standard databases that I recommend often.

For general topics/current events/etc. - Academic Search Premier, LexisNexis Academic
For health and medicine topics - MEDLINE
For education - ERIC (EBSCOhost), and Education Full Text
For literature - MLA International Bibliography, JSTOR, Project Muse, Humanities Full Text
For history - Historical Abstracts, America: History & Life, JSTOR, Project Muse
For biology - Biological Abstracts
For psychology - PsycINFO
For religion/theology - ATLA Religion Database
For business - Business Source Premier, ABI Inform
For philosophy - Philosopher's Index
Social work - Social Work Abstracts
Sociology - Sociological Abstracts

I know that there are other disciplines I didn't cover, but I'm always happy to recommend databases for you to search if you let me know what you're working on!

"How do you renew library books?"

As long as your library books aren't already overdue, you can renew them online. Here are instructions for you.

Login to My Library Account. (There's a link to this on the SLU Libraries home page.) Click on "Checked Out Items." Renew selected items by placing a check in the box next to items on the list and clicking on "Renew Selected" OR click on "Renew All" to renew everything you have checked out.

Note: Items that other patrons have placed on hold and items with restricted loans cannot be renewed; a system message will tell you that renewal is not possible.

If your library books are already overdue and you'd like to renew them, please call the Pius Library Circulation Desk at 977-3087.

"How do you best search databases for info?"

I'd recommend that you think about the main concepts of your research topic and write them down. Then below each concept, write down synonyms and similar keywords and concepts. You can then use these keywords when you search databases for articles. The most important thing is to be flexible! If you try one search and you don't get any results, try something else. The research process involves a lot of trial and error. Also, if you need advice about a specific search strategy, please email me. I'd be happy to help you!

I'm unclear on "sifting through and modifying searches in databases."

Evaluating your search results will take a little patience. To make this process easier, pay close attention to the subjects/descriptors that describe the articles and the article abstracts (or summaries). They will help you ascertain whether or not specific articles would be appropriate for your research project.

In class on Friday we talked about ways to narrow your searches in Academic Search Premier and Lexis Nexis Academic. These databases give you the option to narrow your results by type of source, publication, subject, publication date, etc. This is something you'll want to do if you have a lot of results. If your search doesn't return many results, go back to the main search screen and try using different, fewer, or broader keywords.

I hope this post helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I'm happy to help you!

Shelly Combs -- English 190 -- Section 09

2009-03-03T11:48:00.016-06:00

Hello Everyone,

Please see below my responses to the questions and comments you wrote on the one-minute papers at the end of our recent class session at Pius Library. Don't hesitate to contact me if you need assistance with the research assignments for this course.

Dr. Joseph

1. Trying to find the full text of an article seemed confusing Yes, it is…at least until you get the hang of the process. I want you to keep three things in mind about full text: (a) The SLU Libraries offer full text from over 46,000 periodicals BUT even tho’ that sounds like a lot, it’s a drop in the bucket when compared to what’s published overall; (b) Just because an article is available online doesn’t mean it’s a good article or the best suited for your research need. Maybe the best article is in a journal sitting on a library shelf and you’ll have to come over to read or photocopy it. (c) Resist the temptation to choose full-text options in databases that provide such choices. The reason is that a database then will restrict its results only to full text in that particular database, which means you’ll miss full text provided in all the other SLU library resources. Now, as to how to find full text when it is available, follow these instructions (by the way, these were printed on the library session handout I gave you when I met your class):

WHEN ACTIVELY WORKING WITH A LIBRARY DATABASE:

Important Feature Embedded in Library Databases!!
Click on this icon to open the feature known as Article Linker, embedded within most database search results. Click on it to determine the best available path to the periodical content. It will link you to (Step 1) the full text of the article in another database (if available); (Step 2) the SLU Libraries Catalog record for the publication; and (Step 3) to Interlibrary Loan’s ILLIAD system. For the Article Linker FAQ, see http://libraries.slu.edu/help/artlink/alfaq.html . If you’re not in a database but are working from an existing reference list, click on the “Search for Online Journals, Magazines, or Newspapers” link on the SLU Libraries home page to check the full-text availability of specific journals (see http://hy2ju6vj2n.search.serialssolutions.com/ ).

WHEN WORKING FROM A PRINTED REFERENCE LIST:
Perform a “Journal Title” search in the SLU Libraries Catalog to see if Pius Library subscribes in print or microform formats (sometimes—but not always—you’ll see links to online full text as well). You’ll especially need to do this if you’re working from an existing reference list instead of from within a database search.

2. I heard there was a way of renting books from another school’s library and they send it to Pius…is that possible?
Actually, no, we don’t rent books from other schools’ libraries – BUT we do borrow them and usually there is no charge (unless you return them after the due date or lose them).

Remember to always start looking for a book in the SLU Libraries Catalog (http://libcat.slu.edu/) . If the book you want is not available at Pius for some reason (we don’t own it, it’s checked out, etc.), but it is available at one of the other SLU Libraries (Law or Medical Center), you can either go get the book yourself and use your SLU ID to check it out or click on the blue Request button to have it sent to Pius for your use. If you use the Request feature, you’ll need to complete the information requested on the next screen display. Remember that we set up your library passwords in class; if you forgot yours, call (977-3087) or go to the Pius Circulation Desk and tell that to the staff there. They’ll delete your existing password and then you can create a new one.

If none of the SLU libraries has the book you need available, then click on this icon to conduct the search automatically in the MOBIUS Catalog. Remember that MOBIUS is a statewide consortium of all the academic libraries in Missouri; searching the MOBIUS Catalog allows you to search all the catalogs of all the member libraries simultaneously. If MOBIUS displays a record for the book, indicating that ownership of the book by at least one of the member libraries, click on the link “Display Holdings of MOBIUS Libraries” to see which libraries, if any, have it available to borrow. If the book is available to borrow, click on the “REQUEST THIS ITEM” link in the middle of the catalog record.

The next screen asks “With which cluster are you affiliated?” Select SLU from the drop-down box. Click on the “Submit above information” button and then provide the information requested on the next screen. (FYI, your UNIV ID is your complete Banner number, found in the bottom left corner of your SLU ID card.) The system will confirm your request. Books requested via MOBIUS take from 2-4 business days to reach Pius. The Circulation Department will send an email to your SLU email address alerting you when the book is available for pickup the library pickup location you selected (select Pius unless your major department is at the Health Sciences Center and it’s easier for you to use the Medical Center Library).

Finally, if neither SLU nor MOBIUS has the book you need available, you can use the regular Interlibrary Loan (ILL) service called ILLiad to request that the book be borrowed on your behalf from some other library in the country. There’s a link to ILL on the left side of the SLU Libraries home page (see http://libraries.slu.edu/ ). Click on that link and then, under the name of your parent library (choose Medical Center Library only if your major is Nursing or one of the Doisy College majors), click on the appropriate ILLiad link. Look for the “First-Time Users” link and read the attached information so you can set up your personalized ILL account. Then just carefully follow the directions. There are FAQs available; it’s a good idea to read through that information before you make any ILL requests. If there’s any possibility that a borrowing fee might be involved, the ILLiad form you complete to make your loan request will ask “If we cannot obtain a free loan, what is the maximum cost you would pay for the item?” It’s rare, but sometimes the only way we can borrow a certain book is if the borrower pays a loan fee that goes to the library that loans the book to us for you to use. And if there is a loan fee, make sure you pick up the book within three weeks of notification; otherwise, the charge will be put on your patron record and your library privileges will be blocked until you make the payment (even if you no longer want the book!).

The bottom line: All borrowing between SLU libraries and between SLU and MOBIUS libraries is always free. There may be fees for borrowing books from yet other libraries, but these are pretty infrequent.

Shelly Combs -- English 190 -- Section 08

2009-03-03T10:27:00.010-06:00

In the "Material Type" box, choose "VIDEO/FILM" and click on the blue "Submit" button at the bottom of the screen.

In the “Specific Video Recording” box, choose “DVD” and/or “VHS.” Do not choose “ANY”!

You also can display a current list of all DVDs or VHS tapes in the Pius collection. Go to http://libraries.slu.edu/help/howdoi/othermat.html and click on the links in the “VIDEO/FILM” section. You may find it helpful to use your browser’s Edit/Find function to do keyword searches of these lists.

The Pius Library media collection includes videos and DVDs, among other things. Only current SLU students, faculty, and staff can use these materials, most of which can be checked out to use at home.

Students can borrow most videos and DVDs for 7 days (no renewals); these are housed in the Pius Media Collection on Level 2-East at the end of the Current Periodicals shelving.

Media placed on Reserve for courses are can be borrowed for 2-hour in-library-use in a Pius viewing/listening room or 3-day circulating use at the discretion of the course instructor. Request reserve items at the Circulation desk on Level 1.

Some media is restricted for use by students only in specific courses; these materials will be placed on restricted Reserve and Reserve guidelines apply (see above).

2. Where do we find what floor to look for the call numbers?
The easiest thing is to consult a Pius Library Location Guide. This resource is available online (see http://libraries.slu.edu/about/locatgde.html ) but printed copies are posted by the elevators and the secondary stairwells, plus you can pick up a small copy at the Circulation, Reference, and Serials service desks to carry around with you.

To use the location guide, regardless of its format, take the letters that start your call number and plug them into the appropriate range on the guide. For example, if your call number starts with LB 1234, you’ll see that the LB comes between the range HX – ML 20 on the guide. And that location is Level 4 – South. One thing – when you jot down the call numbers for books (or anything, for that matter), be sure to note the Location information in the Catalog Record. There are a number of “special” locations that indicate a book is shelved in a particular part of Pius. So if the location for the book with the call number that starts LB 1234 is given as Pius Reference, that book is in the reference collection on Level 1 – South. If you get turned around, ask for help at one of the service desks.

3. Some of the databases are still confusing.
Well, that’s to be expected…you’re just starting to learn about and use them! The more practice you have with database searching, the less confusing the process should be generally. That said, there’s always a learning curve when you’re first starting to use a database that’s new to you. Plus databases and the database platforms through which we access them are constantly changing so we’re all–even the librarians!–constantly in a learning mode. The key concepts to remember when using most databases is the difference between keyword and subject searching and the uses of the Boolean operators AND and OR.

Keyword searches match only the letter combination (or “character string”) typed and not the actual subject content whereas Subject searches use the official vocabulary designed for use in the database.

AND is used to narrow a search (i.e., to find records that multiple search terms have in common) while OR is used to broaden a search.

The best advice I can give you is to use the databases frequently to keep up your skills and, if you have any problems—or even if you just need a refresher with a familiar database or instruction on how to use one that’s new to you—ask a reference librarian for assistance. I like to meet with a student to see how s/he actually has done the database search so I can see what search techniques, etc., need attention. Don’t hesitate to get in touch!

4. I’m a little unsure on what the best way is to search the databases (tips for keywords, etc.).
There’s really not a simple answer to this. Keywords are terms you can use to express your topic – but as noted in class and in #3 above, keyword searches just match letter combinations and don’t look for content; that said, they will still find records about your topic since at least some records will include the letter combinations that are your keywords. Different databases work differently with keywords. Some will automatically search just on the term you type in and look for keyword matches; others will attempt automatically to match (or map) the keyword you typed to an official database vocabulary term

Once again, I think the best way to work through this is actually do searches in different databases so you can see how different databases function. I’ll be glad to meet with you so we can work through some searches together.

Emily Tuttle - English 190 - Section 1

2008-12-08T20:24:00.006-06:00

Hello All,

Your entire class posed only two questions in the one-minute papers you filled out at the conclusion of your class session at Pius Library. Generally, you all seemed very confident of your abilities to use the library's resources and find your way around. Hopefully that's making the end-of-semester crunch a little easier on you. Now...those questions...

What happened to the newspapers?
I'm guessing this refers to the elimination of the freestanding newspaper shelves in the middle of the Current Periodicals section on Level 2. Indeed, those shelves have been removed to allow for some space consolidation; this helped open up the adjacent areas a bit more. The newspapers are still up there -- only now they're arranged by call number and they're on the shelves alongside the periodicals. Check the SLU Libraries Catalog for the newspapers' call numbers.

What is the difference between the setup of EBSCOhost and the other databases?
I'll start by clarifying that EBSCOhost isn't a database -- it's a search product (or platform or interface) developed by the company named EBSCO. And that company offers subscriptions to about 200 different databases -- at last count, the SLU Libraries subscribe to about 36 of them in many subject areas; the interdisciplinary Academic Search Premier is just one of them. In addition to EBSCOhost databases, the SLU Libraries subscribe to databases from about 13 other companies (some names with which you may be familiar are Ovid, ProQuest, and LexisNexis). Each of these companies offers its own product/platform/interface that, in its estimation based upon lots and lots of research, is the most suitable and user-friendly for the databases it offers. That's why EBSCOhost databases look different and have mechanics (like how to search and print) that differ from those of Ovid -- and why Ovid is different from ProQuest, etc. It's a little intimidating and it can be a pain to learn to use different interfaces. But keep in mind that they all pretty much do the same thing conceptually. So, for example, if you know (1) the difference between keyword and subject searching, and that subject databses often have their own official subject vocabularies, and (2) how to search using OR and AND, you should be able to navigate most databases at a basic level--even if you've never used them before and their "setup" differs from those you search often. If it's any consolation, gaining familiarity with so many different products can be a bit of a headache for librarians, too! :-)

If you have any questions as you work on wrapping up your semester assignments, don't hesitate to ask me or one of my colleagues at the reference desk for help. Good luck with finals and enjoy the holidays! -- Dr. Joseph

Dr. Greg Travis - English 190 - Section 18

2008-12-04T14:20:00.007-06:00

Hi folks -- Here is information in response to the questions you wrote in the one-minute papers completed at the end of your class session at Pius Library. This information will be useful to you as you continue your studies here at SLU.

Does it cost anything to use Interlibrary Loan's ILLiad service? How long does it take for materials to be received and where do we pick them up?

Most interlibrary loans are free to undergraduates. Remember, if you need a book that the SLU Libraries don't have available, first check the MOBIUS Catalog to see if another Missouri academic library owns it and will loan it. If that's not the case, then you can request the book via ILLiad. All periodical articles need to be requested via ILLiad.

MOBIUS book loans take 2-4 business days, depending on where the book is coming from. ILLiad book loans may take as long as 14 business days because they are sent via the US mail. Periodical articles usually are sent to Pius electronically now so the turnaround time on those requests could be as little as 1-2 business days--but you should figure on 5-7. Articles sent via US mail could take longer.

Books and articles loaned/sent to Pius from other libraries for your use will be held for you at the Circulation Desk, just across from the cafe at the entrance. You will receive an email notification that they have arrived and are available.

For more details about Interlibrary Loan's ILLiad service, follow this link: http://illiad.slu.edu/illiad/xii/logon.html .

Can you explain the difference between keyword and subject searching in databases?

Sure. A keyword search is what you usually do in Google -- you just type in a string of characters that, to you, means something. Actually, keyword searches just match those characters without giving them meaning. So while you probably will find info on your topic by doing a keyword search, you'll also turn up a lot of irrelevant stuff (think of your Google search results!). On the other hand, a subject search uses a database's official vocabulary wherein the database has been programmed to recognize the group of characters you type as an actual subject term. Subject searches usually are more efficient and yield more focused and useful results.

Exactly how this all works may depend on the database platform (the company that provides the database you're searching, such as EBSCOhost, Ovid, ProQuest). They all do the same thing conceptually, but the mechanics differ. That's why it's important to spend a little time getting familiar with different databases you'll use a lot. Also, you may find it necessary to use a combination of subject and keyword searches to find info on a topic. Database search looks easy--and it can be pretty straightforward sometimes--but it can be quite complex. The more you use a database, the better you'll come to understand all these functions and features. It's important to try using them on your own so you develop a sense of what you really do and don't know. And you can always ask a reference librarian for help.

How do I find a book shelved in Pius Library?

Make sure you have the complete call number for the book, and then consult a Library Location Guide (see http://libraries.slu.edu/about/locatgde.html ) to find out where it is shelved. Pius uses the Library of Congress (LC) Classification system, so call numbers start with letters (which represent subject areas). Looking at the Guide, just plug the first letter(s) of the call number into the ranges on the Guide to figure out what floor the book is on. The complete call number will be needed to help you find the book once you're on the right area of the floor where it is shelved.

The journal article I need isn't available online. How can I tell if the library has it in print or on microfilm?

The SLU Libraries Catalog will tell you. Do a "Journal Title" search and type in the title of the journal (not the title of the article!) to see if Pius Library subscribes in print or microform formats. You’ll especially need to do this if you’re working from an existing reference list (and not from within a database search).

On the other hand, if you are working in a database, the same button that you use to see if the article is available online also will help you figure out if Pius has it in print or microfilm format. When you click on it, you'll open up the Article Linker page which will show you the best available path to the journal content. If there's no online text (Step 1). clicking on Step 2 will automatically search the SLU Libraries Catalog record for the publication. And Article Linker also includes Step 3 for Interlibrary Loan’s ILLIAD system in case the library doesn't have the article you need in any format.

I'll bring this posting to a close now. There's a lot to learn about using a library and its resources, and it takes time -- you're off to a good start. Get in touch if you have any other questions! Good luck on finals and Happy Holidays! -- Dr. Joseph

Justin Noetzel English 190 - Sections 3 and 9

2008-11-17T20:44:00.003-06:00

Hello Students in Mr. Noetzel's English 190 Classes,

I will try to answer the "gray area" questions found in the one-minute papers handed in at the end of class last Friday.

Good news about undergraduate number of renewals - guess what - they are listed as unlimited (in reality only 999 renewals are allowed). A detailed table of borrowing periods and policies is found at the following url:

http://libraries.slu.edu/about/policies/ug.html

Stay tuned for more exciting information,
Martha

Hi Again,

I want to address a question that was asked in both sections - how to narrow a search.
There are a number of strategies to refine a search:

Add an additional relevant concept and combine research concepts using the Boolean operator "and"
Search the subject headings found in the result record
Limit your search by date
Limit your search by publication type - scholarly journals vs. popular magazines

There are a number of useful web sites that provide examples of narrowing search strategies:

http://www.library.vanderbilt.edu/research/Narrowing.shtml#phrase

http://www.etown.edu/HighLibrary.aspx?topic=Narrowing%20Search (chart format)

Next Question - What to do about logging in to databases remotely.
Answer - When accessing the databases remotely you use the same user name and password required for computer use in the library:

User name - root of your SLU email account
Password - password you use to access SLU Net account

Remember, the Pius reference librarians are always at your service! Check out the ASK a Librarian link on the SLU Libraries web site - http://libraries.slu.edu/chat/askalibn.html

Have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving,
Martha

ENG 190 Combs sections 12 and 13

2008-11-10T17:33:00.003-06:00

Greetings! There were a few questions submitted at the end of the Friday, Nov. 7 classes which I'll try to answer below. If you have further questions about the library, please feel free to contact me (crownrw@slu.edu).
Ron Crown

How do I go about actually looking for books in the library? Do I look for them electronically first?

You can find books in the library by searching the library catalog and using the call number location guide to determine where a book is shelved (as described in the Finding Books tutorial). The library does have a (very) small collection of electronic books. These can also be found in the library catalog. Most of the library's book collection is traditional print format.

What is microfilm useful for?

Most of the microfilm collection owned by Pius Library contains previous years of journals and newspapers. Often this is the only format in which these are available because Pius Library neither owns a print copy or provides electronic access to these older issues.

Once I find a journal how do I go about finding it in the library?

Search the library catalog to see if the library subscribes to the printed copy of the journal. All printed journals to which the library subscribes are given call numbers; use the location guide to determine where the call number is found in the library. Remember that current year journal and newspaper issues and journals and newspapers on microfilm are on Pius Level 2 (arranged by call number).

How do I find journal articles of different features/subjects within a certain topic?

If I understand this question correctly, you are asking how to focus a search in a journal database more precisely. The easiest way is to add and additional search term (or terms) that express the feature you are interested in. If you are having problems focusing your research, remember you can always ask a librarian for help!

Lisa Fischer - Section 11 (MWF 1:10-2:00 p.m.)

2008-11-10T10:11:00.022-06:00

Hi everyone! Here are my responses to the questions and comments you submitted at the end of Friday's library research class. I'll also be coming to your English 190 class today, so you can also ask me any other research questions that you have later today. -- Jamie Schmid (your ENGL-190 Librarian)

"Are newspapers scholarly sources?"

No, newspapers are not considered scholarly sources. They're written for the general public and they have many of the same characteristics as popular magazines. For example, they contain a lot of ads and photos, the articles are not written by scholars, and there are no bibliographies or abstracts.

"I'm still unsure of how to go about getting a book if it's at another library (ex. WashU)."

You can order books from 69 other libraries in Missouri via the MOBIUS Library Catalog. MOBIUS includes almost every academic library in Missouri and 2 public libraries. Here are instructions for ordering books through MOBIUS.

If a book you need isn't available at any MOBIUS libraries, you can place an Interlibrary Loan request, via the library's ILLiad service. You need to first set up a free account, but then you'll be able to fill out a "Request a Book" form and we'll get the book from another library for you. We'll email you at your SLU email account when it comes in and you can pick it up at the circulation desk on the 1st floor of Pius.

I'm still unclear on "how to get the article if it's not online or in the library."

If an article isn't available in print or electronically via SLU, you can place an Interlibrary Loan request for it via the library's ILLiad service. You'll need to set up an account and then fill out the "Request a Photocopy" form. We'll get the article for you from another library and email it to your SLU email account.

"I might need help searching for my individual topic eventually."

I'm always happy to help with this! Please email me if you'd like to set up an individual research counseling appointment.

I'm still unclear about "scholarly articles."

In addition to looking at the Popular vs. Scholarly Journals handout I gave out in Friday's class, you might want to watch this short tutorial on the difference between Popular vs. Scholarly Periodicals from Vanderbilt University's Peabody Library.

"How do you decide which articles to use?"

The University of Madison-Wisconsin Libraries have some good tips on how to evaluate sources on their Web site. Cornell's library Web site also has some good information on Critically Analyzing Information Sources.

"Some of the navigation aspects of the databases and the online journals are too complicated and sometimes unusable."

It can be difficult to navigate different databases and online journals. They're produced by many different companies and the interfaces are all different. With practice, you'll learn what kinds of features tend to be common among them and you'll become more adept at navigating them. Before long you'll be as comfortable navigating them as you are regular Web sites.

"I'm still unclear on how to find scholarly journals in print. How do you locate them in the library and find them."

Here are instructions for finding a specific article in a print journal in the library.

1. Search by journal title in the SLU Libraries Catalog.
2. If you find a print journal record (it won't say "online" after the title), check to see which library has the journal, what dates are available, what the call number is, and which floor it's located on. (Click on the link under "Location", not the call number link.)
3. Go find the journal on the shelf. Find the volume you need, then the issue, then the right page number.
4. Photocopy the article, because journals can't be checked out of the library.

If you're using a database to find articles on a topic and an online version is not readily available, you can click on the FIND IT AT SLU button. It will bring up an Article Linker page, which will tell you if the article is available online in any SLU database. If it's not available online, go down to Step 2 on this page and click on the Journal Title link. It will do a journal title search in the catalog for you, and you can follow the same process detailed above.

"I would still like to know how to better locate a book/article in the library. Maybe a demonstration?"

You could always review our Finding Books in the SLU Libraries and Finding Articles on a Topic tutorials. I'm creating a tutorial on how to find a specific article, but it's not finished yet. In the meantime, here are the basic steps you need to follow to find a specific article in the library.

1. Search by journal title in the SLU Libraries Catalog.
2. If you find a print journal record, check to see which library has the journal, what dates are available, what the call number is, and which floor it's located on. (Click on the link under "Location", not the call number link.)
3. Go find the journal on the shelf. Find the volume you need, then the issue, then the right page number.
4. Photocopy the article.
5. If the journal is available electronically, click on the "SLU Online Journal, click to access" link.
6. Check to see which database has the year that you need.
7. Click on the name of the database.
8. Browse the journal by year, volume, and issue.
9. Browse through all articles in the issue to find the one you're looking for.

If you have any trouble locating an item in the library, please stop by the Reference Desk on the first floor and let us know. We'll be happy to to with you to find your item on the shelf.

"I just think it's a little confusing getting to your actual article because it seems like there are a lot of links you have to click and continue to search on and on... It's easy to get lost."

You might find it easier to search the entire journal for your article instead of browsing by year, volume, and issue. That's often an option. You'll just need to look around the online journal page to see if that option is available. Otherwise, I'm sure that you'll get used to finding specific articles online once you get a little more practice.

"Finding articles still kind of confuses me."

Do you mean articles that you have citations for or articles that you've just found using one of the databases? The latter is covered in the Finding Articles on a Topic tutorial.

I'm actually creating a new video tutorial on how to find a specific article, but it's not ready yet. Here's the best I can do in the meantime.

1. Search by journal title in the SLU Libraries Catalog.
2. If you find a print journal record, check to see which library has the journal, what dates are available, what the call number is, and which floor it's located on. (Click on the link under "Location", not the call number link.)
3. Go find the journal on the shelf. Find the volume you need, then the issue, then the right page number.
4. Photocopy the article.
5. If the journal is available electronically, click on the "SLU Online Journal, click to access" link.
6. Check to see which database has the year that you need.
7. Click on the name of the database.
8. Browse the journal by year, volume, and issue.
9. Browse through all articles in the issue to find the one you're looking for.

"If I have different topics and ideas I want to cover, how can I combine or limit my research topic to one particular idea."

I think I'm going to have to defer to your instructor on this one. Lisa - Would you mind posting a response to this question in the comments section of this post? Thanks!

Culver's ENG190 Sections 36 and 39

2008-10-30T14:24:00.002-05:00

Searching for and locating books:

The SLU libraries catalog can be found in two places on the main page of the library web site. You can find at the center of the three columns toward the bottom of the page and also as the first entry under the yellow research tab at the center top of the page.

Our books are all shelved according to Library of Congress call numbers. A quick guide to reading a call number will aid you in using the library. Around the library, by all the computers and at the elevators you will find a Location Guide providing details of which floor holds which call numbers.

Narrowing searches

One important step in every search is refining terms to match those used in the search systems. Typically we start with the words in our head (that is, natural language terms) and need to use the features in the search software to improve the quality of the search. To do this, always review the ‘descriptors’ or other subject headings listed. Look for terms that more accurately match what you intended for your search and re-execute with recurring revisions to improve your searches. This is a regular part of the research process and simply requires attention to detail and patience. And, please, always remember you may ask questions of a librarian -- someone who specializes in knowing these systems -- whenever you want assistance.

Helpful hint:

Consider adding the Pius Reference Librarians to your cell phone address book so you can easily phone with questions. The number is 314-977-3103.

Sarah Schwab - Section 7 (MWF 10:00-10:50)

2008-10-10T15:30:00.011-05:00

Hi everyone! Here are my responses to the questions you submitted at the end of our library research class today. I'll do my best to explain things, but if you still have questions, please email me and/or post a comment below. -- Jamie Schmid (Your ENGL-190 Librarian)

"It's hard to know immediately which databases are good for what you're searching for. Is there any way to search all of them at once?"

The library has a free trial of a product called 360 Search that lets you search many (but not all) databases at once. It's linked from the library's trial databases page. Feel free to try it out! I'm not sure how long it will be available though. Another option would be to search all of EBSCO's databases at once. At the top of the library's database page there's a search box that says "Search Some EBSCOhost Databases" This search will include Academic Search Premier and other EBSCO databases. EBSCO is a database vendor.

It would be helpful to "go over a wider variety of databases and what their specialties are."

There are a few standard databases that I recommend often.

For general topics/current events/etc. - Academic Search Premier, LexisNexis Academic
For health and medicine topics - MEDLINE
For education - ERIC (EBSCOhost), and Education Full Text
For literature - MLA International Bibliography, JSTOR, Project Muse, Humanities Full Text
For history - Historical Abstracts, America: History & Life, JSTOR, Project Muse
For biology - Biological Abstracts
For psychology - PsycINFO
For religion/theology - ATLA Religion Database
For business - Business Source Premier, ABI Inform
For philosophy - Philosopher's Index
Social work - Social Work Abstracts
Sociology - Sociological Abstracts

I know that there are other disciplines I didn't cover, but I'm always happy to recommend databases for you to search if you let me know what you're working on!

I'm still unclear on "getting to 'University News."

Did you mean the SLU student newspaper the University News or the University Newswire search in LexisNexis Academic? The SLU University News is freely available online. A limited archive is available online. Older issues are available in the University Archives in the St. Louis Room (3rd floor, Pius Library).

To get to the University Newswire search in LexisNexis, click on the News button at the top of the main LexisNexis Academic search page. (This is illustrated on your class handout.) Under "Sources" select "University Wire." You may also want to specify a different date range for your search. The default time period is the last 3 months.

"A quick/dirty list of databases with full text would be nice for last minute things."

For last minute research, I'd recommend the following full-text databases.

For current events/general topics - LexisNexis Academic, (Academic Search Premier also has quite a bit of full text)
For the humanities - JSTOR, Project Muse
For education - Education Full Text
For psychology - PsycArticles
For biology - BioOne

For other recommendations, please send me an email and let me know what you're working on.

"Some things like what year to look for and what specific details to look for can still be tough."

This will get easier with practice! :) When looking at a print journal record in the catalog, remember that a dash between two dates means that we have everything in-between those two dates (example: 1992-1995. ) If a dash appears after a date, that means the library has everything from that date to the present (example: 2002- ).

"Why would we not search full text?"

I'm assuming that you're referring to the comment I made about not wanting you to click on the "Limit to Full Text" box in Academic Search Premier. The reason I said that is that by clicking on that box, you'll be limited to only seeing the articles that are available in full text in that particular database. Many, many, more would be available in other databases. You don't need to search another database to find them, just click on the "Find It At SLU" button. Also, many other articles will be available at SLU Libraries in print. All you have to do is make a photocopy of them. It's especially important to not place too many limits on your search when you are just beginning your research. You can always be more specific and limit your search more later on. When you start researching, its' a good idea to see what's out there.

"It would be good to have an example of a way to get the article on our blog step-by-step."

Do you mean an article that you have a citation for or an article that you've just found using one of the databases? The latter is covered in the Finding Articles on a Topic tutorial.

I'm actually creating a new video tutorial on how to find a specific article, but it's not ready yet. Here's the best I can do in the meantime.

1. Search by journal title in the SLU Libraries Catalog.
2. If you find a print journal record, check to see which library has the journal, what dates are available, what the call number is, and which floor it's located on. (Click on the link under "Location", not the call number link.)
3. Go find the journal on the shelf. Find the volume you need, then the issue, then the right page number.
4. Photocopy the article.
5. If the journal is available electronically, click on the "SLU Online Journal, click to access" link.
6. Check to see which database has the year that you need.
7. Click on the name of the database.
8. Browse the journal by year, volume, and issue.
9. Browse through all articles in the issue to find the one you're looking for.

"The hardest part was probably finding specific journal articles."
AND
I'm still unclear on "the first portion of the session." (finding specific journal articles.)

Please see my response to the previous question.

I hope this was helpful for you. Please let me know if you have any other questions!

Sarah Schwab - Section 4 (MWF 9:00-9:50)

2008-10-10T14:03:00.021-05:00

Hi everyone! Here are my responses to the questions you submitted at the end of our library research class today. I'll do my best to explain things, but if you still have questions, please email me and/or post a comment below. -- Jamie Schmid (Your ENGL-190 Librarian)

"How do we cite when we use LexisNexis, etc.? Do we cite LexisNexis or the actual article or both?"

This is a good question! When you use an article you retrieved from a subscription database, you need to indicate that is where you got it. So your citation will include information about the article, as well as the database you retrieved it from. Purdue's OWL Writing Lab Web Site has a good example of this. Scroll down to the section titled, "An Article from an Electronic Subscription Service."

"Where do you have to go in the library to order a book from another library?"

You can initiate book order requests yourself from within the MOBIUS Library Catalog. Here are instructions on ordering books through MOBIUS. If a book you need isn't available at any MOBIUS libraries, you can place an Interlibrary Loan request, via the library's ILLiad service. You need to first set up a free account, but then you'll be able to fill out a "Request a Book" form and we'll get the book from another library for you. We'll email you at your SLU email account when it comes in and you can pick it up at the circulation desk on the 1st floor of Pius.

"Does the library have statistical books or studies from other universities?"

For higher education statistics, I'd recommend that you look at some of the resources listed on this Pius Library Higher Education Research Guide. There's a section on finding statistics. The National Center for Education Statistics site is also a good place to look. Another option would be to do search in the library catalog for: higher education and statistics. You could be more specific if you knew what kind of statistics you needed.

"Are there options for obtaining a bibliography of the article separate from the article page?"

Generally an article bibliography is listed at the end of the actual article. If the article isn't available, the bibliography wouldn't be available either. Does this answer your question? If I haven't understood your question correctly, please send me an email and let me know.

I'm still unclear on "what databases to look at."

Which databases you should search really depends on your research topic. However, there are a few standard databases that I recommend often.

For general topics/current events/etc. - Academic Search Premier, LexisNexis Academic
For health and medicine topics - MEDLINE
For education - ERIC (EBSCOhost), and Education Full Text
For literature - MLA International Bibliography, JSTOR, Project Muse, Humanities Full Text
For history - Historical Abstracts, America: History & Life, JSTOR, Project Muse
For biology - Biological Abstracts
For psychology - PsycINFO
For religion/theology - ATLA Religion Database
For business - Business Source Premier, ABI Inform
For philosophy - Philosopher's Index
Social work - Social Work Abstracts
Sociology - Sociological Abstracts

I know that there are other disciplines I didn't cover, but I'm always happy to recommend databases for you to search if you let me know what you're working on!

I'm still unclear on "how to obtain an article from the library via email if it is unavailable to me."

If an article isn't available in print or electronically via SLU, you can place an Interlibrary Loan request for it via the library's ILLiad service. You'll need to set up an account and then fill out the "Request a Photocopy" form. We'll get the article for you from another library and email it to your SLU email account.

"I had a problem finding the floor of a book."

Our best guides for finding materials in the library are our Location Guide and our location links in the Library Catalog. (These are the links that say the name of the library which has the book.) The links in the library catalog will show you which floor the book is on and even the exact bookshelf you need to go to . If you still have questions, feel free to contact me or stop by the reference desk whenever you have trouble finding a book. We're happy to help!

"I was a little confused with checking the right journal locations and if those are the correct versions."

This can be a little confusing. Print journal records will indicate which library the journal is at, and if you click on the call number you can find the floor that it's located on, just like a book. As far as correct versions go, it's a matter of making sure that the library (or database) has the year or volume that you need. Looking closely at the dates before you go looking for the journal is important.

"When I go searching for electronic journals, it is still unclear where to go to get the article."

Was this an issue when you were looking for a specific article or articles on a topic?

When looking for a specific article and proceeding from the record for the electronic journal, you first need to select a database that has the full text of the year that you're looking for. Then within that database, you should be able to browse through a list of years, then volumes, then issues of the journal. When you get to the issue you're looking for, you'll be able to browse through a list of articles published in that issue and select the one you're looking for. If the database doesn't give you the option of browsing, you could search for the title of the article you need. A search box should be available then.

When using a database to find articles on a topic, if the HTML or PDF full text isn't available in the database, you can click on the FIND IT AT SLU button to see if it's available in another database or in print in the library. If it's available online, you can click on the "article" link that's listed. If it's not available, you can go to Step 2 to search and see if it's available in the library in print.

I hope that this was helpful for you. Please let me know if you have any other questions!