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Getting The Most Out of The Library

Ken Ryan gave a presentation to CS 101 students about using the Cal State LA library resources. The presentation covered navigating the library website, designing an ideal search engine, using the library catalog to find books, borrowing materials from the library and other libraries, finding articles using databases like Academic Search Premier and Computer Source, and formulating effective search strategies. The presentation provided live demonstrations of searching databases and emphasized the importance of citing articles found.

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Dev Rathod
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© © All Rights Reserved
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32 views

Getting The Most Out of The Library

Ken Ryan gave a presentation to CS 101 students about using the Cal State LA library resources. The presentation covered navigating the library website, designing an ideal search engine, using the library catalog to find books, borrowing materials from the library and other libraries, finding articles using databases like Academic Search Premier and Computer Source, and formulating effective search strategies. The presentation provided live demonstrations of searching databases and emphasized the importance of citing articles found.

Uploaded by

Dev Rathod
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 37

GETTING THE MOST

OUT OF THE LIBRARY

CS 101 Students
Presented by
Ken Ryan
Winter, 2008

Agenda
Openers
The Library website and navigating it
Design a search engine
How to find stuff here
Using the Library Catalog
How to borrow stuff, here AND there
How to find articles in databases
Using Academic Search Premier
Using Computer Source
Using Engineering Village 2

Agenda
Openers
The Library website and navigating it
Design a search engine
How to find stuff here
Using the Library Catalog
How to borrow stuff, here AND there
How to find articles in databases
Using Academic Search Premier
Using Computer Source
Using Engineering Village 2

already
Now here I am ^ nagging at you
Did you get your NIS Account?
IF NOT, go to Library Palmer Wing
ITS Help Desk and register NOW!

Why? NEEDED FOR ACCESSING ALL


CAMPUS COMPUTERS STARTING
2008
(and for remote and wireless
access).
Have you been using the campus student e-mail system
http://mymail.calstatela.edu
Why? BEST FOR E-MAILING ATTACHMENTS AND
FOR RECEIVING OFFICIAL CAMPUS E-MAIL.

Steps of Library
Research
Need books?

Need articles?

Get
item in
your
hands!

Fu
llt ex
t

Databases

t
n
i
r
P
Catalog

No
No
Yes

Interlibrary
Interlibrary
Loan
Loan
Library stacks

Agenda
Openers
The Library website and navigating it
Design a search engine
How to find stuff here
Using the Library Catalog
How to borrow stuff, here AND there
How to find articles in databases
Using Academic Search Premier
Using Computer Source
Using Engineering Village 2

The Library Website


Important menu & other links
Library hours
Floor plans
People
Policies
Jobs
Services
Help
Campus links

Really important links


Search for:

Articles in journals, newspapers,


magazines (Article and Reference Databases)
Journals, newspapers & magazines by
name (Journal Name Search)
Books and other library materials
Course materials on reserve

on the Library main website

Agenda
Openers
The Library website and navigating it
Design a search engine
How to find stuff here
Using the Library Catalog
How to borrow stuff, here AND there
How to find articles in databases
Using Academic Search Premier
Using Computer Source
Using Engineering Village 2

A database is
A collection of
information
organized for easy
access and
searchable by
specific fields like
author and title.

A search engine is
A computer program that
electronically searches the
contents of a database to
locate specific information
www.library.arizona.edu/rio/gl
ossary.htm
A computer program that
retrieves documents or
files or data from a
database or from a
computer network
(especially from the
internet)
wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/w
ebwn

Now that you know a couple of


definitions for a search
engine, you are going to be
given the opportunity to
design YOUR ideal
information-seeking tool or
system.

List a few characteristics YOU think the


IDEAL search engine should have.
Report what your group came up with.
Then well look at ACTUAL databases and
the search engines they use.
Draw your own conclusions better
or worse than your IDEAL design?

Agenda
Openers
The Library website and navigating it
Design a search engine
How to find stuff here
Using the Library Catalog
How to borrow stuff, here AND there
How to find articles in databases
Using Academic Search Premier
Using Computer Source
Using Engineering Village 2

And
live examples
ANDnow,
NOW,some
SOME LIVE
EXAMPLES

Goliathus regius

Search Examples
Basic Search
KEYWORD: global warming AND ( technol* OR
engineer* )
KEYWORD: computer programming
Journal Search
Does the Library subscribe to Computer Music
Journal?
Advanced Search
KEYWORD / LOCATION: comput* AND Thesis
Collection

Agenda
Openers
The Library website and navigating it
Design a search engine
How to find stuff here
Using the Library Catalog
How to borrow stuff, here AND there
How to find articles in databases
Using Academic Search Premier
Using Computer Source
Using Engineering Village 2

Agenda
Openers
The Library website and navigating it
Design a search engine
How to find stuff here
Using the Library Catalog
How to borrow stuff, here AND there
How to find articles in databases
Using Academic Search Premier
Using Computer Source
Using Engineering Village 2

Magazine
s
Journals

TV/Radio
Web
Newspapers

EVENT

Governmen
t
BooksPublication
Reference
s

TIME
Real
time

One
day
later

Days Weeks

Months

Year
s

A Timeline of Information
Adapted (2002) from The Lifecycle of Information, Odegaard Undergraduate Library, University of
Washington. Thanks to C. Haras.

Flow of Scientific Information


Timeline
0
1-2 years
2-3 years

2-3 years

3 years
4 years
5 years
7-10 years

http://www.lib.uwaterloo.ca/usered/grad/researchskills/flow_of_info.h
http://www.indiana.edu/~cheminfo/acs800/structs.html

Journal or Magazine?
Whats the difference? And who
cares?
Both are published periodically.
Journals = research
references
(bibliographies)
abstracts
author information

Examples:
Journal of Scientific
Computing
Science

Magazines = info,
news, entertainment
NO bibliographies
MANY advertisements

Examples:
Technology Review
Newsweek

ACM Transactions on

PC Quest

Journal of the Association


for History & Computing

Wall Street Journal

Formulating an Article Database


Search
See handout: Search Strategy Development
Worksheet

Ask a question containing the search concepts:

How do I get articles about the management of


software development projects?

Join concepts with Boolean operators:

OR broadens a search
either term may appear in the same record
terms are similar in meaning
example: develop* OR manag*

AND narrows a search


all concepts must appear in citation
terms differ in meaning
example: software AND ( develop* OR manag* )

Formulating a Search (Graphic View)


A = develop*
B = manag*
C = software
develop* AND
manag* AND
software

develop* AND
software

Result Set
manag* AND
software

A+C, B+C,
A+B+C

Database Finder
Select by subject
areas and get list of
recommended
databases with
details

Select or limit
by type of
resource

Select by database
and get one-click
access

Agenda
Openers
The Library website and navigating it
Design a search engine
How to find stuff here
Using the Library Catalog
How to borrow stuff, here AND there
How to find articles in databases
Using Academic Search Premier
Using Computer Source
Using Engineering Village 2

Academic Search Premier


Articles from 4,200+ journals, all
subject areas; 3,200+ are full-text;
most are peer-reviewed or
scholarly or academic
Citations / Text can be

downloaded
e-mailed to campus or commercial account
printed (Library workstations & OALs)

Agenda
Openers
The Library website and navigating it
Design a search engine
How to find stuff here
Using the Library Catalog
How to borrow stuff, here AND there
How to find articles in databases
Using Academic Search Premier
Using Computer Source
Using Engineering Village 2

Computer Source
From the same friendly folks who bring you
Academic Search premier
Articles from about 300 publications, covering
topics such as computer science, programming,
artificial intelligence, cybernetics, information
systems, robotics, and software.
Citations / Text can be

downloaded
e-mailed to campus or commercial account
printed (Library workstations & OALs)

Agenda
Openers
The Library website and navigating it
Design a search engine
How to find stuff here
Using the Library Catalog
How to borrow stuff, here AND there
How to find articles in databases
Using Academic Search Premier
Using Computer Source
Using Engineering Village 2

Compendex
Covers 5,000+ engineering journals & conferences;
references and abstracts; 1970 to present; includes:

chemical and process engineering


computers & data processing
applied physics
electronics & communications
civil, mechanical and materials engineering

INSPEC
Covers 5,000+ sci-tech journals & conferences; 1969
to present; includes:

electrical & electronic engineering


physics
information technology
computer & control systems

Remember

Article Citations
Dont leave your databases without them
1. Title of article
2. Author
3. Journal name (often called Source)
4. Volume (and issue) number
5. Date
6. Page(s)

* Print or e-mail your citations (or accurately


write them out)

A couple of words to the wise


Remember most of
the Worlds total
knowledge resources
are ONLY available in
print form in books and
bound journals.
Dont be misled into
wrong thinking that
because its in a book,
its pass, or that old
journal articles are
worthless.
Also remember not

http://www.calstatela.edu/library/evaluatewww.htm

Still going around in circles?


- Ask at the Reference Desk, 1st
Floor, Library North
- Read online help screens & tutorials
- Read handouts (in bins by Reference
Desk)
- Ken Ryan (STEM Librarian)
323-343-4943
[email protected]

Thats all, folks!

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