Orientation to Libraries Research Methods and Data College of Advancing Studies Brendan Rapple

6/24/2015 Today Libraries hold much more than just books: –Digital resources, journals, sound and video recordings, newspapers, government documents, DVD’s, etc. Point the user to the world of global information –Not limited to what is physically in the building –Online resources help open up access to the global world. Collections can often be accessed remotely.

6/24/2015 BC Libraries Facts Support teaching, learning, and research at Boston College with: About 2.5 million printed volumes Over 400 research databases that can be accessed in the library or remotely Specialized libraries throughout campus Subject specialists available to assist you.

6/24/2015 Boston College Libraries and Centers Complete List of Libraries and Centers: O'Neill Library The main research library Wireless Internet + Laptop connections Group study rooms available Also in O’Neill: Government Documents and Microforms Media Center –Music, films, CD-ROMs, plus facilities for viewing and listening. The Connors Family Learning Center –Free tutoring –Support services to students with learning disabilities or Attention Deficit Disorder –Instructional support for graduate students and faculty

6/24/2015 The BC Libraries Web Site BC Libraries home page Subject Specialists Help by Subject How do I…? Citation Help Electronic Journals Online Databases

6/24/2015 QuestQuest: BC Libraries’ Online Catalog Use QUEST to locate material owned by BCQUEST Some Features of Quest: –Requesting books checked out, in process, or on order –Interlibrary Loan –“Your Account”: Renew online View account activity history Request book delivery, article photocopies Request a library session Recommend library material Set up alerts

6/24/2015 How long are books loaned out? O'NeillSocial WorkLawERCBapst Masters students120 days 28 days14 days120 days PhD students120 days 28 days14 days120 days

6/24/2015 Examples of Databases Online database page from libraries web site: Online Databases Browse databases by title Browse databases by subject

6/24/2015 You’re in a database and found an article you want. How do you get it? Easiest way? Click on Find It. Find It will tell you: –Does BC have the article in full text online? –... Or is it in print in the libraries? –... Or can you get it through interlibrary loan? Look for the Find It Icon

6/24/2015 Fee vs. Free Subscription Databases: e.g. –ERIC (education) –PsycINFO current –Expanded Academic ASAP (multidisciplinary) –Historical New York Times Available freely on the Web: e.g. through search engines –GoogleGoogle –YahooYahoo

6/24/2015 About Resources in print… There is much material available only in print format that remains essential. Only a small percentage of the full-text contents of books is presently accessible electronically. The percentage is higher for journals. Still, for earlier issues of journals the percentage is again low.

6/24/2015 Alert Services Set up a search profile/strategy Stay up to date Receive newly-published info in your research areas— via

6/24/2015 Interlibrary Loan Using Interlibrary Loan, a member of the Boston College community can borrow Books Videos DVDs sound recordings Microfilms or receive photocopies of articles in magazines that are owned by another library.

6/24/2015 Library Consortium Boston Library Consortium

6/24/2015 Documentation Styles and Guides –MLA: Modern Language Association –APA: American Psychological Association standards –Other styles include Chicago, Turabian (many others too).

6/24/2015 RefWorksRefWorks: A Useful Tool Footnotes and bibliography can be generated in a variety of formats such as APA, MLA. Web based tool for automatically formatting your paper. Allows you to store, organize and keep track of citations. References can then be inserted into papers.

6/24/2015 RefWorks Help? RefWorks Tutorial –step by step instruction –Details on setting up your account –Importing records from specific databases

6/24/2015 Graduate Student Support page This page contains brief descriptions of services and resources directly related to research activity, along with some links to the items described.

6/24/2015 Faculty Research Support page This page contains brief descriptions of services and resources directly related to research activity, along with some links to the items described.

6/24/2015 Final Advice.... Don’t Forget to Ask Your Friendly Librarians for Help!!! Contact a Subject Specialist