Crunch Time: use library databases for your papers and projects

As we near the end of the semester, many of you will be thinking about your final papers and projects.  If you are looking for quality, peer-reviewed articles look no further than a library database.  Here's why you should take a look at them:

What is a library database?

A database is a collection of citations, indexes, and/or full text for articles that originally appeared in journals, magazines, or newspapers.  A database gathers all of this information into a single, searchable collection.

How do databases differ from library catalogs?

Databases differ from catalogs. A catalog indexes books, DVDs, AV materials, music, and more so you can locate a record and then locate the item. Catalogs do not have full text articles, while many library databases do.  Think about it this way: If you wanted to find Time Magazine you would use a catalog, but to find the individual articles that appeared in Time Magazine, you would use a library database.

Why should I use a library database?

Searching a library database is different than searching the web.  While both provide information that is searchable, a library database contains expert selected and curated information that is not freely available on the web.  Libraries pay to access this content and which allows users to research using content that is managed and more reliable in many cases than information freely available on the web.  

You can find access to all of the Hewes Library's databases on the Databases: Find Articles section of the library's website.  We have a lot to choose from and the list can be a little intimidating at first, but don't worry!  You can always view the Databases by Subject, which will help to sort them by major subject area and help you focus your research.  

Access to library databases is limited to the current students, staff, and faculty of Monmouth College.

Journal of the Month: Allrecipes

Published by the Meredith Corporation, Inc. six times per year, Allrecipes is a bimonthly magazine which Hewes Library subscribes to in print only.

Allrecipes is the largest online food community to date, with over 40 million home cooks.  The website was started 18 years ago when Tim Hunt, a University of Washington anthropology graduate student, thought the internet would be a great place for cooks to exchange recipes.
 
Regular columns include Reader-Tested Tools, Classics, World’s Fare and Cooking School.  There is also a handy recipe index that lists all recipes included in the issue, broken down by subjects such as appetizers, sides, breakfast and dessert.

See more at: www.allrecipes.com or on the Main Level of Hewes Library in the Popular Periodicals section. You can also follow them on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.  They also have a YouTube channel. You can also download the free mobile app.

Research Tip: Renewing your library materials

If you have checked a book out from us or another I-Share school, don't forget to renew your materials if you are going to continue using them.  To renew simply, log in to your Library Account on the Homepage and select the titles that you would like to renew.

Want to learn more about your Library User Accounts? Each Monmouth College students, staff, or faculty member has two Hewes Library accounts.

1. Library / I-Share Account: Allows patrons to renew items currently checked out and to place requests for books through the I-Share Catalog. You can also maintain a list of favorites in the system.
2. ILLiad Account: Allows patrons to place interlibrary loan requests for articles and print materials that are not available in the I-Share catalog. Electronically received interlibrary loans requests can also be retrieved in a patron's ILLiad account.

Learn more about the differences between the two accounts and how to locate your username and passwords for each account.

Easter Break 2016 Hours

Hewes Library will have shortened hours during Easter Break, March 24-28, 2016.  Einstein Brothers Bagels will also be closed over the Easter weekend.  The library will be open:

• Thursday, March 24: 7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
• Friday - Sunday, March 25 - 27: Closed
• Monday, March 28: 8:00 a.m. - midnight

Normal hours resume on Tuesday, March 29.

Research Tip: Stable URLs - Getting back to the article you found

Have you ever been interrupted while researching and copied the search URL in an email with the intent to return to your search at a later time? If so, you have learned that in most cases, it does not work when you return to it.

Why? Each time you start a session in one of the library's databases, a unique session ID is attached to that search. When the window is closed, the database considers your research session over and the URL is no longer valid.

The fix: enter stable URLs. A stable URL is a short URL listed somewhere in the record for the article or periodical that you are interested in. It can also be called a permanent URL or a Permalink. If you bookmark, save, or copy a stable URL, you will be able to directly return to the article you selected. Look for stable and permanent URLs in our library's databases.

Return to Regular Hours

Hewes Library and Einstein Brothers Bagels have returned to regular hours.  We hope that everyone had a wonderful spring break!

Database of the Month: Music Online

From Alexander Street Press, Music Online is our featured Database of the Month.  Music Online is a multi-disciplinary database that features video, sound, and audio collections.  Currently, the database contains over 660,000 albums and over 8.8 million tracks which are searchable by keyword, performer, or ensemble or browse-able by collection or subject area.

The user friend search interface allows researchers the ability to refine results as they find them with such specifics as the date a piece of music was recorded or a particular conductor.  To help researchers manage the content they discover, Music Online allows for the creation of an account where you can create, share, and manage playlists within the platform.  

Find Music Online on the library's Databases: Find Articles page.

Access to library databases is limited to the current students, staff, and faculty of Monmouth College.

Research Tip: Get the Article! How to locate an article's full text

Found the perfect article, but can’t find the full-text anywhere?  Sometimes a search in a database like Academic Search Premier shows you an article that looks like it would be perfect for your research only the complete article isn’t found in the database.  If this happens to you the first thing to do is click on the Article linker button found at the bottom of the listing.

This will tell you if the article can be found in either another database or in one of the journals found in Hewes Library.

If the clicking the “Article Linker” button returns the words “no holdings found for this title”, don’t despair, you can still request the article by logging on to your ILLiad account and filling out an Article Request Form.  The circulation staff will find a library that has the journal and request them to send a copy to Monmouth.  Please be sure to fill in as much information as possible on the request and you will be notified by the library when the article has arrived.  This process can take up to a week, so do your research early!

Journal of the Month: Scientific American

Journal of the Month: Scientific American

Published by Scientific American, a division of Nature America, Inc. twelve times per year, Scientific American is a monthly magazine which Hewes Library subscribes to in print and online.

Scientific American is the longest continuously published magazine in the United States, since 1845.  It was founded by Rufus Porter as a weekly broadsheet.  Scientific American founded the first branch of the U.S. Patent Agency in 1850 to provide technical help and legal advice to inventors.  Popular columns include Space, Health, Sustainability, and Technology; more than 150 Nobel laureates have written for Scientific American including Albert Einstein, Francis Crick, Jonas Salk and Linus Pauling.

See more at: www.scientificamerican.com or on the Main Level of Hewes Library in the Main Periodicals section. You can also follow them on Facebook or Twitter.  They also have a YouTube channel. You can also download the free mobile app.

Spring Break 2016 Hours

Hewes Library will have shortened hours over Spring Break, March 4-13, 2016.  The library will be open:

• Friday, March 4: 7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
• Saturday - Sunday, March 5 - 6: Closed
• Monday - Friday, March 7 - 11: 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
• Saturday, March 12 : Closed
• Sunday, March 13: 6:00 p.m. - midnight

The library will return to normal hours on Monday, March 14.  Einstein Brothers Bagels will be closed over Spring Break and will reopen on Monday, March 14.