To your dismay, you’ve been assigned a research paper during the last few weeks of classes. So you walk into the library with a large coffee in hand hoping to sit down for a few solid hours to do some research, but you have no idea where to start. What many students are unaware of is how many easy-to-use resources are available electronically in the library. If you venture left and visit the reference desk, you will be presented with a vast array of databases that Lamson Library subscribes to.
Robert Fitzpatrick, one of the reference librarians, pointed out that a majority of students think these online journals and databases are free, when really some of our tuition money goes towards updating and subscribing to these resources each year.
“Students should make a point to come visit us at the reference desk so they can take advantage of these resources we can show them how to use,” Fitzpatrick said.
To access these resources, you can simply go to the Library home page and click on the link that says ‘Databases.’ All of them are organized by subject and will give you the best links you can use to search for specific sources. For example, if you need to research a specific artist and find samples of their work, you can click on the art category and go to the “ARTstor” database, a digital image library that allows you to search for high quality images. You can do the same for peer reviewed journals that are also organized by subject. “JSTOR” is a great database for scholarly journals. All of these resources are right at your fingertips!
Another unique feature that the library has is Interlibrary Loan, which allows you to make an account and then rent books from any library worldwide through the WorldCat.org catalogue, and have it sent to Lamson for you to pick up. They can be available in about 3-4 days if they are coming from local libraries. This works for online journals as well, that can be emailed to you from other libraries that subscribe to them. Fitzpatrick also mentioned that Plymouth student ID’s are valid at any library in New Hampshire, a useful tip for those who may live near other college campuses.
Once research is completed and papers are written, you are left with what most students dread the most: citations. Once again, if you visit the library homepage and locate the research tab on the left side, you are directed to a variety of websites that help you format citations of any kind. Most importantly, at the bottom of the page is a link to EasyBib with a “cite your sources” box. You can even login to EasyBib through your Facebook account, making it that much more accessible.
Fitzpatrick encourages that students make a visit to the reference desk, or they can even email questions under the handy “Ask a Librarian” link. The reference librarians make an effort to respond to emails as soon as they can. The reference desk is open Monday-Thursday 9:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m., Friday 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Saturday 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m., and Sunday 5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
As the research paper assignments begin piling up, go buy yourself a large coffee, make a stop at the reference desk, and you will be good to go!