The best library
assignments are those that use a variety of resources including reference books, circulating books,
newspaper and journal articles, and government documents. We
encourage you to use all of these sources for this paper. Books should
provide
some excellent background on your topic. Journal articles, if they're current, give you more up-to-date details. You may apply for a library
card and request materials online. We hope you will take full advantage of
the
many resources our libraries offer.
As you begin, narrow your topic to a size that you can manage. Consider
keywords that will help you find the information you need. These can
be names of people, events, current issues or broader identifying terms. Use
these keywords for locating information in the library catalog, electronic
databases, and on the internet.
BOOKS
Librarian Talk about Library
Cards!
Your library card is your key to library resources. Use
your card to 1) Place a Hold on a book 2) Access databases
from home.
To get a library card:
Get a photo student ID from the Admissions Office, SFA 100,
Monday to Friday 8:00 to 4:00, Monday and Wednesday until 6:00.
Bring it to the library to have it activated as a library card.
Receive a library card directly from the library, LIB 100. Available
whenever the library is open.
Apply online for a library card. This takes about
seven days to process.
This includes all Lone Star College System college libraries as well as Montgomery County public
libraries. You can limit to electronic books and read them online. If your search
includes all books and you find one you want, it is faster to come to the library
to check out books, but if that does not work for you, you can request that
the library mail the book, and you mail it back.
NetLibrary
is a library of online books available on or off campus. It is a library
on your computer.
Finding Reference Books
To locate reference books in the library, check the library catalog. To work online, try the following resources:
Included are the Encyclopedia of BioEthics, West's Encyclopedia of American Law, Encyclopedia of Human Development, Encyclopedia of Death and Dying, and Supreme Court Cases that Changed America.
Encyclopedia-type articles provide unbiased information on alternative therapies and treatments. Select one of five categories (Conditions, Herbs & Supplements, Drug Interactions, Alternative Therapies, and Functional Foods.
Locate biographical information on people in your field of interest.
JOURNALS: Finding
current articles using databases
Librarian Talk about
Finding Journal Articles!
Electronic databases are purchased by the libraries for your research
use to find articles in newspapers and journals, letters, reference
books, illustrations, photographs and more.
If you want an article that
is not full-text, please email the correct bibliographic information
to our Reference
Librarians and they will see that you get the article. The
libraries need full bibliographic information - plus your name and
address. Send your phone number and email as well, so you can be
contacted.
There is some overlap of articles in the following
databases. However, we encourage do you to
use more than one. All are excellent sources for this topic. For
professional, scholarly or peer reviewed articles, limit your search
using
the appropriate button in the database search window.
From
home, use your library card number to login to these online journal
databases.
Opposing Viewpoints - A great starting place! You can choose from their list of controversial topics or use your own keywords.
Academic Search Complete- Collection of journal, newspaper, and magazine
articles on a wide variety of topics.
ProQuest Research Library -Collection of journal, newspaper, and magazine articles. Limit to "Scholarly journals including peer reviewed" if scholarly or professional journal articles are required.
Issues and Controversies - Browse through possible topics for your feasibility report or search for
newspaper and magazine articles on your subject.
North Harris College Library is a depository for government documents.
The Internet is a wonderful
source of government documents. Browse the sites we have suggested below.
Remember, you do want to find reputable sites. The URL's for government sites should end with .gov.
Using the limiters at the bottom left of the search page, limit your search
to US Government Documents. Many of them are full text online. Once you pull
up the complete citation, you can view the document by clicking on the URL.
