FTS: Reading and Writing Place: Start

Research can be both exciting and frustrating. Fortunately, there are lots of people on campus who can help.

• Check with your professor if you aren't sure how to approach your assignment or want a second opinion on sources and strategies.
• Stop by the Writing Center at any point during the process for expert advice from your talented peers.
• The Academic Support Center can help with issues such as time management and organization.
• Connect with librarians for any and all research questions. There are many ways to get in touch with us. 

You can always email Julie with any questions or to schedule a meeting. I'm happy to help with any and all of your research questions. Or if you just want to chat about your topic & create a strategy for searching, we can do that, too. 

The easiest way to access news articles, whether for this course or another one, is through these databases. This will get you around any paywalls you might encounter if you were just searching Google for newspaper articles.

To find books in our library, search the Library Catalog - you can also search directly via  the search box on the library's homepage. We also have a guide that further explains how to search the catalog and find books in the library.

When you find books that look useful, write down the Call Number. Your book will have this call number on its spine label. Most - but not all - books are in the General Collection. Use the information below to figure out where your book lives:

General Collection, call numbers A - PQ  are on the Third Floor 

General Collection, call numbers PR - Z are on the Second (Main) Floor

Oversize are on the Third Floor, Beck Hall side

Reference are on the Second (Main) Floor, Beck Hall side

Browsing are on the Second (Main) Floor near the entrance

Young Adult & Children's Books are on the First Floor 

AV materials (DVDs, etc) are on the First Floor

Once you are in the right area, signs on the sides of the shelves will direct you further. The system is a little tricky to figure out at first, so don't hesitate to ask for directions at the Information Desk (main floor of the library).

Browse the shelves when you find a useful book. Books are shelved according to topic, so chances are you'll find other relevant books nearby.

You can check books out at the Information Desk. This page has information about loan periods, renewals, etc. 

You may or may not need to find articles for your research. It's useful to know how to find articles, however, especially as you'll need to do this for other classes. The library provides access to dozens and dozens of article databases. Each database has a particular focus. Some are for specific areas of study (like biology or international relations), some are for newspapers articles, and others contain information on all kinds of topics. Here are some of the most popular databases; use the Scientific Approach tab for database recommendations for your topics. 

Once you've found some articles, you'll probably want to narrow down your results. You can always add additional terms to your search to narrow the focus. Use the Search Tips tab at the top of this guide for tips.

• Newspapers are good for very specific news items or recent events.
• Magazine articles reflect a popular approach to issues and are often short and simple in style.
• Articles in academic journals report on research and are sometimes quite long and complex. Concentrate on the abstract (a one-paragraph summary that sometimes is at the beginning of the article), the introduction, and the last paragraphs. 

When articles are not available as PDF or HTML files, there's a yellow "find it!" button that will search for the article in other databases or offer you a chance to get a copy from another library, a process that usually takes a day or two and is FREE for you. Consult the Tracking Down Materials tab for more information or email Julie.

We've got a one-stop guide for doing citations in some of the major styles. You can always ask a librarian if you've got a tricky citation and aren't sure what to do. We also encourage you to visit the Writing Center for writing help.

If you want a refresher from our library session, the slides from class are posted here.