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Research Survival Tips from -- Tasha Cooper and Michael Pasqualoni, Librarians |
Tasha Cooper
Michael Pasqualoni
We encourage you to ask for research assistance when you need it. One of the newest ways to seek assistance is LibChat, which allows library users to "converse" online with a librarian. The librarian will respond to questions, lead users to Web sites, online databases, and other resources, and provide users with a transcript of the completed session.
Please try Syracuse University Library's newest reference service and let us know what you think! To start your session, click on "Ask Us" on the Syracuse University Library web page and select Click to Chat with a Librarian.
In addition to LibChat, the Library offers on-site, e-mail, and telephone reference services.
What are some other tips for using the Library most effectively? Keep these facts in mind:
SU Library is real and it is also virtual. The Library has buildings, but it is also an information rich destination on the web.
SU Library still collects "real" books- lots of them.
A commitment to broad historical coverage means you will find plenty of older titles on our bookshelves too, with hundreds of newly published items arriving every month, covering all subject areas taught at the University. To locate these books and other resources, such as videos and recordings, efficiently, try searching SU Library's online catalog, SUMMIT.
Databases and E-Journals
Most scholarly publications are not freely available on the web. And even the valuable information that is online is not always easy to retrieve. SU Library can help by providing you with the following:
Databases Main Menu:
Organized by subject, alphabetically, and even by vendor, this menu leads to specialized search engines/databases that allow you to retrieve a wide array of information in multiple formats. Some of these databases can take you to references and full-text articles originally published in the 19th century, or to detailed summaries and rankings of an industry, or to company financial statements, transcripts of congressional hearings, results of public opinion polls, biographical sketches of an author, and more.E Journals:
Do you already know the title of a magazine or journal of interest and simply want to find out if it is contained (in full text) within an SU Library database? Go to the library's e-journals page and type in the title.
SU Library will work hard to obtain items for you even if we don't own them.
ILLiad is SU Library's interlibrary loan service. If you discover that the Library's collection lacks a book or article you need, logon to ILLiad and we will do our best to find that item and get it to you quickly. If the requested item is a recently published article, we may even deliver the full text to you online.
SU Library wants your suggestions and requests.
At the service request forms web page you can suggest that we purchase a book or journal, or suggest we add to our catalog an online source that you find especially useful. Here you can also submit a form requesting that we locate a book or journal you believe is missing. If you need a book that is checked out to another borrower, you can request that the item be recalled for your use. You can also renew books online.
SU Library has information experts and expert-information retrieval systems.
At an academic library, you are connected to a community of scholars and librarians who are experts in various fields. A complete list of SU Library online subject guides and subject specialists (aka "selectors") is also available online.
Last but not least, take a virtual (or actual) tour of SU Library:
Visit SU Library's "Workshops & Tours" page for a list of in-person guided tours, as well as links to virtual tours that will help you become more familiar with the most important library locations and services.
by Tasha Cooper and Michael Pasqualoni,
Syracuse University Library