June 20, 2006
Research at The Claremont Colleges
Tools
Libraries' Website - http://libraries.claremont.edu
Links to information about the libraries' services and tools - a good place to start your research, especially if you are searching from off campus. some of the most useful tools are:
- Indexing Databases - these databases index scholarly and peer reviewed literature at the subject level
- Blais - Blais is our catalog of items we own or have access to in Claremont - http://blais.claremont.edu Blais differs from the subject indexing databases mentioned above in that those databases are specific to bodies of literature, and Blais is specific to us. You must work between the two in order to see what we have. (See What is Blais? for more information).
- Ejournals portal - these are our online journals. don't see your title here? check for print in Blais!
- Interlibrary Loan (under 'getting materials not at Claremont') - awesome shared borrowing, and great for getting journal articles we dont have. (See What is ILL? for more information)
- Link+ - from Blais, click on the 'link+' image to the right of the results screen to query the Link+ catalog. Link+ is great for getting books of all sorts that we either don't own or are checked out. (See What is Link+? for more information)
Research Concepts
Scholarly Literature & Peer Review - When doing research at the academic level, the quality of information sources is important. You want to rely on information that has undergone a review process, where a specialist has reviewed and approved the content prior to publication. The indexing databases mentioned above point to such literature. Most peer reviewed content is not freely available online.
Keyword vs. Subject Searching - Keyword searching has become the norm - toss your keywords into your search field, like Google, and go. However, Keyword searching is just one avenue into literature, and controlled vocabulary, or subject headings, are powerful search options as well. Subject searching will capture content indexed under the subject in question, irrespective of chosen keywords. When listing terms to search, think of synonyms, and broader and narrower terms for context and diverse search options. In indexing databases or in Blais, note any relevant keywords, subject headings, descriptors, &c (usually located towards the bottom of the record) for additional vocabulary to use.
Citation Searching - my favorite trick! Take note of the bibliographies to relevant materials, and use Web of Science or Google Scholar to see who is citing the articles you really like. Citation searching is also great fun to track the development of an idea over time.
Tips
- Research is a process - read, think and assess
- Budget lots of time to immerse yourself in the concept - this isn't about finding enough sources as much as it is about gaining a thorough knowledge of the topic and following through with your train of thought on it.
- Use multiple windows/tabs - database, Blais, website, paper, email... keep information in one window while working in another. Few things suck more than losing those perfect search results thanks to 'postdata'.
- Create a log for your research project, and keep track of effective searches, databases used, results, successful keywords and terms, &c
Getting Materials
Now that you've done all this searching in 'The Literature', there's that pesky 'getting' process to deal with. In the sciences, we're lucky in that most of our stuff is directly linked from our indexing databases. However, not everything is online, or linked. If you do not see a download option, toss the source title into Blais to see if we own the print. Remember, Blais doesn't know what an article is, so you must use the title of the source, like the journal title or conference proceedings title. Pay attention to the libraries' holdings; you want to make sure we actually have that volume from 1969 before you head over to dig around in the collection.
Got Questions?
Find me. : ) Here's how:
- email - jez @ hmc.edu
- send me an IM
- Yahoo!/MSN - jezmynne
- AIM - bad8sslibrarian
- Yahoo!/MSN - jezmynne
- Drop by Sprague, but check my calendar, first.
Posted to library 101 by jez at 01:39 PM
April 01, 2005
library jargon glossary
abstract
a summary of an article or a book.
annotation
a brief description of an item, usually found with its citation. for example, an Annotated Bibliography.
barcode
Machine readable strips used by libraries to uniquely identify materials and users.
bibliography
a list of materials on a subject or by an author. bibliographies are very useful in locating materials with a common theme.
Blais
Blais is our online catalog that indexes the holdings of the Claremont Libraries. visit Blais here.
blog
made from the combination of 'web' and 'log', a blog is an online journal or interactive website hosting discussions through commenting features.
boolean logic
a way to combine terms using operators such as AND, OR, NOT. AND includes terms, OR is either/or terms, and NOT excludes a term.
call number
A combination of letters and numbers used to organize and identify library materials.
catalog
A listing of what the library owns. Our catalog is Blais.
citation
Information that identifies a book, article, conference proceeding, or similar. Citations include things like source title, author, volume, issue, pages, and date.
circulation desk
the desk located towards the entry/exit of the libraries that provides the circulation functions of the libraries’ physical materials. course reserves, cds, and videos are also held here.
controlled vocabulary
Words assigned to a specific subject area creating subject headings. Controlled vocabulary brings together items with similar subjects under one term. Libraries usually use the Library of Congress Subject Headings.
course reserves
Reserves are items held at the circulation counter for specific courses. They normally have limited check out periods.
database
an organized collection of records of items. indexes and catalogs are examples of databases.
Denison Library
located on Scripps campus, and houses collections in fine art, fine press (printing), women's studies, and humanities subjects. see Denison's website for more info.
depository
a library that receives government publications.
descriptors
words or phrases used as subject headings.
electronic journal
A journal that is accessible online.
fifth (5th) floor storage
5th floor storage is the location of older math journal titles from 1996 back, located in the south west corner of the 5th floor of Sprague library, in more or less alphabetical order by title. ask staff if you can't find what you're looking for.
folio
books too large to fit in the regular shelves, and are thus shelved in a separate location. read more about the anatomy of books here.
full text
a full text article contains both the citation and the article itself in an online format.
hold
request that an item be kept for a library user until retrieved from the circulation desk. most commonly used when an item is recalled from another user.
holdings
materials available in the libraries, indexed in Blais.
Honnold/Mudd Library
the main library to the Claremont Library system, providing access to collections in multiple subjects, reference assistance, library instruction and workshops, and many other services. see the Libraries' website for more info.
Ibid.
latin abbreviation for ibidem, "in the same place." used in citations to refer to the last work cited.
index
a list of bibliographical information to a body of literature arranged usually in alphabetical order of some specified datum such as author, subject, and keyword, among others. aka databases
interlibrary loan
a way for libraries to share materials. see the interlibrary loan entry for more information.
ISBN (International Standard Book Number)
unique standard number that identifies a book. the ISBN is an international notation.
ISSN (International Standard Serial Number)
a unique standard number that identifies a periodical publication. the ISSN is an international notation.
jargon
language known to a select group of people, typically terminology associated with a subject, profession, activity, &c.
journal
a periodical which deals with a specialized topic(s), often published by a professional society or universities.
keyword
a word used to identify items containing that word; used for locating materials in online indexes and catalogs.
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH)
The multi-volume set, Library of Congress Subject Headings, is an alphabetic guide to and list of the official subject headings used for searching in the on-line catalog. See The Big Red Books for detailed information.
Link+
Link+ is a consortia of libraries in California and Nevada that share books. Access to the Link+ catalog is found through the main Blais homepage or from the maroon Link+ button located at the top of item records and the results screens. see the Link+ entry for more information.
literature review
reviewing written literature on a specific topic, most relevantly for research. the best way to approach this is to begin with subject indexing databases, such as MathSciNet or Web of Science.
manuscripts
documents such as letters, diaries, or an author's original work that have not been printed.
microforms
documents that have filmed and reduced in size. formats include microfilm and microfiche.
multimedia
an item that encompasses several media, such as text, graphics, audio, or video.
offsite storage
a storage facility that houses library materials that either have infrequent use or an online alternative.
OPAC
Online Public Access Catalog, in our case, Blais. lots of libraries shorten it to PAC and will refer to their web catalog as their Web PAC
oversize/folio
books too large to fit in the regular shelves.
periodical
works published on a regular basis, like journals or conference proceedings.
physical collection
physical items like books, journals, magazines, maps, CD ROMS, dvds, microforms, &c, as opposed to electronic collections accessed online.
primary source
first-hand research data. also first-hand accounts of events, like diaries, letters, interviews, memoirs, photographs, transcripts, maps, government documents and artifacts.
rare books
books with a high value attached to them, due to their content, scarcity, the date of publication, their physical condition, &c.
recall
request that a book checked out be returned to the library. users have 2 weeks to return the item once the recall was made. look for the maroon Recall This Item at the top of the item's record in Blais.
record
information on a specific item in the libraries' online catalog, Blais.
reference/info desk
a service area in the library where a patron can get assistance with research from a reference librarian, as well as general information about the library.
reference librarian
a librarian with specialized knowledge of information resources who can help you find information for research.
repository
an area for the storage of materials, usually separate from the physical library space and with limited access for users
reserves
materials kept at the circulation counters or on the electronic server Eres for specific courses with a limited loan period, from 2 hours to 2 days.
Seeley G Mudd Library
one of 2 science libraries, and houses collections in biology, chemistry, geology, and physics, as well as provides a variety of services. visit Seeley G Mudd on Pomona's campus for more info.
special collections
special collections is an area separate from the main library's collections that contains materials of a high worth for a variety of reasons such as uniqueness, rareness, or age. each library has their own special collections areas.
Sprague Library
located on Harvey Mudd's campus, Sprague houses collections in math, computer science, engineering, as well as a nice recreational reading collection of books and magazines. see Sprague's website for more info.
subject headings
words or phrases expressing a subject, under which all items on that subject are indexed. See The Big Red Books for detailed information.
thesaurus
a list of synonyms a database uses to find matches for particular words if the words themselves don't appear in documents.
unbound
a term used to distinguish loose issues of periodicals which have not yet been bound. most often, these are the newest issues.
volume
a collection of issues of a periodical specified by the publisher.
Posted to library 101 by jez at 08:57 AM
February 24, 2005
what is Blais?
Blais is our online catalog, and will tell you what is owned by the Claremont libraries. Blais is great for finding books and for locating print and online journal titles, and much more. you can do author, title, and keyword searching in Blais to find what you want.
author -- this can be one or more people, or a publishing body like, 'International Conference on Computers and Communications'
title -- usually the actual item title, but occasionally a series title, where a series of books share the same title. For example, Lecture Notes in Mathematics or conference proceedings
keyword -- this will search for words anywhere
subject -- subject searching uses the Library of Congress Subject Headings. every item is assigned at least one subject category, and this is a great way to find a variety of items specific to one subject area. See the Big Red Books for more info
journal cross references -- don't forget to check the title change links towards the bottom of your item record. journal publishers change titles from time to time, and the title changes are interlinked with either 'continues' or 'con't by' links
limiting your search -- limiting your search is a good way to sort out unnecessary results. the limit button is one of the maroon buttons at the top of the screen. some limit options are location, item type (video? journal?), or language
mailing marked records -- mark items and email them to yourself
example of a journal record doc pdf
example of a book record doc pdf
cool things about Blais:
preferred searches
featured lists
my Blais
Posted to blais | library 101 by jez at 09:10 PM
February 16, 2005
Link+
Link+ is a consortia of California and Nevada libraries that share books amongst each other. Link+ is a great way to get books we don't own, and is excellent for getting a copy of something that is checked out.
from the main blais page, http://blais.claremont.edu, click on 'Search Link+' under 'Additional Functions' to enter the Link+ catalog. additionally, you can enter into link+ directly from your Blais results screen by clicking on the maroon Link+ button towards the top of the page. this is great if you are searching for a particular book that we don't have - click Link+ to find a copy quickly.
to fill out a Link+ request:
1. once you've found your item, click on 'request this item' near the center of the page
2. from the drop down menu presented to you, choose 'Claremont'
3. you will then be prompted to input your 10 digit ID # and name so Blais knows who you are and who to deliver the book to
4. and that's it! takes about 2-3 days, a week at most, and you will get an email when the book arrives for pick up at Honnold.
when dropping off Link+ books, please return them to the book drops at Honnold or the circulation desk. campus libraries cannot take Link+ returns, they must be processed by the mothership library.
what's the difference between interlibrary loan and Link+?
Posted to library 101 by jez at 10:23 PM
interlibrary loan
interlibrary loan is a free loan system where libraries nationwide share resources with each other. you can request materials that we do not have through the form located on the libraries' main website. instructions are:
1. go to http://libraries.claremont.edu
2. under the heading 'Getting Materials', click on the link that reads, 'Request materials not at Claremont (InterLibrary Loan)'
3. scroll down and click on 'Request a book or a photocopy of a journal article'
4. you will be prompted to log in with your 10 digit ID number (at the bottom of your card) and your name
5. once you log in, click on 'article' or 'book'
6. input your citation information and click 'continue' and you're done!
journal articles usually arrive via email as a pdf, and books will be delivered to Honnold and you will be emailed regarding their arrival. interlibrary loan requests can take up to two weeks, so budget lots of time for gathering information for research.
what's the difference between interlibrary loan and Link+?
Posted to library 101 by jez at 10:14 PM