Accessing Library Sources from the Computer
Kiki Dembrow,
ISALC
Begin at the LC HOMEPAGE. Click on LIBRARIES. Choose WATZEK.
From the library homepage you can access the card catalog, the databases, dictionaries and more.
I. On-line REFERENCES
Let's check "The Reference Shelf".
1. a. Where would you look to find information about the current weather in Portland?
b. What is the weather forecast for this evening?
2. Find maps which show how US territory expanded. (Hint: look under AMERICAN STUDIES CULTURAL MAPS.) Look at a copy of a map of the U.S. in 1775 and in 1820. What differences do you see?
Stop. It is easy to get lost. How can you go back to the beginning or a previous screen? How can you find a screen you were on before.
3. Let's get some information from an on-line encyclopedia, Britannica Online.
a. Find an article on "______________________________________________"
What is the titles of the article?
1.
Reference materials such as encyclopedias are often a good place to start your research because they can give you background information.
II. The Watzek Library On-line Catalog.
The on-line catalog will tell you what books, magazines, newspapers, videos, and so on are in the stacks in the library. Use the on-line catalog to answer the questions below.
1. How to Look for a book. You can search by a)___________________b)_________________ c)_________________
A. Find a book written by___________________.
Which type of search will you do?_______________ How many entries did you get?_____
What is the title?
What is the place of publication?
Who is the publisher?
What is the year of publication?
What is the call number ?
In order to find the book that you want in the stacks, you need to know its call number. All the books in the library are organized by call number.
B. Find this book:_____________________________
Which type of search will you use?__________ ____ Does the library have this book?
Who is the author?
What is the place of publication?
Who is the publisher?
What is the year of publication?
What is the call number ?
C. Find a book about_____________________
Which search will you use?_______________
How many books does the library have on this topic?___________ Choose one.
Who is the author?
What is the title of the book?
What is the place of publication?
Who is the publisher?
What is the year of publication?
What is the call number ?
If the book that you want, for example, is not in our library, there are ways to get it from another library by using ORBIS. When you find it, you can request that it be sent to Watzek library. After two to three days, you can pick up the book(s) you requested at the circulation desk.
Look for this book: Kindred by Octavia Butler.
Which libraries have it?
What do you have to do to get it?
2. How to Look for Reference Materials (Books) that are NOT on-line.
In the REFERENCE section of the library, behind the Reference Librarian's Desk, there are reference books (atlases, encyclopedias, almanacs, and so on). (Remember that the reference books cannot be checked out.)
The reference desk is the place to go if you need help in the library. The librarians are there to help you; they are very nice and very eager to help you.
A. Now use the on-line catalog to find the encyclopedias below.
What is the call number for World Book? ___________________________
What is the call number for Encyclopedia Americana?___________________
What kind of search did you do?___________________________________
3. How to Look for a Periodical in the Library using the On-line Catalog.
A. Now use the on-line catalog to find a periodical (journal, magazine, newspaper).
Which kind of search will you do?_____________
B. Let's look for these 2 magazines: 1. Sunset Magazine 2. Newsweek
Does the library have them? 1. _____________ 2. ____________
Are they kept on the shelves (stacks)? 1. __________ 2. __________
What dates (years) are in the stacks?1. ________________________2. __________________
Are they available on microfiche? 1. ____ What is the microfiche number? ______
2. _______ What is the microfiche number?______
What dates (years) are on microfiche ? 1.______________________________
2.______________
Are they available on microfilm? 1. ______ Number?__________
2. ______ Number?______________
What years (dates) are on microfilm? 1. ________________________ 2.__________________________
Do periodicals have call numbers?___________
III. Finding Articles (in journals and magazine) with ON-LINE Databases.
Now you will learn how to find magazine and journal articles by accessing different databases from the LC library homepage. The library catalog will help you find books and magazines, but not specific articles in magazines and journals. Articles can give you the most current information about a topic.
The databases consist of periodical indexes which you can use to find articles on different subjects. The indexes are lists of articles from many different magazines, newspapers, and journals. Some indexes focus on articles from popular magazines ; other focus on periodicals in specific areas, such as business, health, and so on.
We will look at two of the databases: First Search and Infotrac Search Bank. Both are easy to access from on-campus.
A. First Search
First, we select a database area. Let's start with General & Reference. Then , we select a specific database. Let's start with the Reader's Guide Abstracts.
Search for this topic:_________________________________________ _________________
Do a subject search.
1. Results: How many articles (records) did your search give you? _____________
2. Tag two of the more interesting looking articles. Save the tagged records. Go the next page if there is one. After you have tagged 2 articles, click on SHOW.
3. Email the 2 articles you have tagged to your email address.
Then email them to your teacher ____________________________.
4. Now return to the articles and answer the questions below about the 2 articles you have tagged.
1a. Who wrote the first article?__________________________________
1b. What is the title of the article?
1c. In what newspaper, magazine or journal can we find this article?
1d. What page is it on?_____________________________________
1e. When was this article published?___________________________
1f. What does "abstract " mean here?
2a. Who wrote the second article?_______________________________________________
2b. What is the title of the article?______________________________________________
2c. In what newspaper, magazine or journal can we find this article?
2d. What page is it on?_____________________________________
2e. When was this article published?__________________________
The articles in First Search are usually NOT available on-line. Exit this database and return to the Watzek Library on -line catalog.
Does the library have the articles that you found? Let's find out.
1. What kind of catalog search will you do?_________________________
2. Does the library have article #1?____
If yes, where?
Where must you go to get your article?
3. Does the library have article #2?___
If yes, where?
Where would you go to get your article?
Bring a copy of one of the articles to class if possible.
Let's look at another database.
Choose General Reference Center ( a database) .
You may search by Keyword or by Subject. Let's try the same topic that you used for First Search.
1. Enter your topic as a Subject.
How many articles (citations) did your search give you?______________
How many subdivisions are there? (You may not have any.)
How many related subjects are there? You may not have any.)
If there were subdivisions, choose one . Which one did you choose? ___________________
How many articles are there?________ Next, click on New Search.
2. Enter your topic as a Keyword. Write down which search terms you used: ____________________________________________________________
How many articles are there?________________. If you have more than 20 articles, you need to limit your search.
3. Click on Limit Search. Choose the box marked "references with full-text only".
What other choices are there for narrowing your search? ____________________________________________________________________________
You may need to narrow / limit your topic if your search gives you too many articles to choose from.
4. If the article you want is not available on-line, what can you do? ________________________
___________________________________________________________________
Choose two articles. Use these articles to answer the questions below.
1a. Who wrote the first article?__________________________________
1b. What is the title of the article?_____________________________
1c. In what newspaper, magazine or journal can we find this article? ______________________
1d. What page is it on?_____________________________________
1e. When was this article published?___________________________
1f. Is it available on-line? __________________ If not, does Watzek have this periodical?____
2a. Who wrote the second article?__________________________________
2b. What is the title of the article?_____________________________
2c. In what newspaper, magazine or journal can we find this article? _______________________
2d. What page is it on?_____________________________________
2e. When was this article published?___________________________
2f. Is it available on-line? __________________ If not, does Watzek have this periodical?____
To Review: You will use the on-line databases to find periodical articles. When you find a title that looks promising, remember to read the abstract (summary) to determine if the article is a good choice for your research topic.
Sometimes the full-text of these articles will not be available on-line, so you will need to find out if the periodical in which the article appears is available in the stacks. To see if the library has the periodical you want, you will do a journal title search using the on-line catalog. Remember to use the title of the periodical and NOT the title of the article! If the library has the periodical that you want, note whether it is on microfilm, microfiche, or on the shelf.
Bound periodicals are in the stacks. Microfiche and microfilm are in a special section of the library. There are special machines that you can use to read these articles and to make copies of them. At the circulation desk, in exchange for your student ID you can get a copy key which allows you make microfiche and microfilm copies for free.
Once you locate the periodical , you will need the date , the volume number, the pages and the title of the article that you are looking for.
ISALC, Institute for the
Study of American Language and Culture,
Lewis & Clark College
Created by: krauss@lclark.edu
Updated: 5/1/99