Library Guides: English 1: Wilderness

 http://www.cos.edu/library/libraryguideseng1raimondo.htm

 For English 1, Jennifer Raimondo, Instructor
Developed by  Gina Haycock, Librarian

REFERENCE BOOKS:
Located on the first floor of the library behind the Reference Desk.  These books must remain in the library. Reference books include dictionaries, almanacs and encyclopedias. Specialized or subject encyclopedias (concentrating on a particular subject instead of covering all knowledge) are excellent starting points for research. They are focused on a particular topic, cover the major concepts of the topic, are written by experts in the field, and often have bibliographies or other references. Examples of Reference books in the COS library are as follows:

Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy    #R100 R869
Lives & Legacies: an Encyclopedia of People Who Changed the World    #R109.2 P568
Encyclopedia of Human Emotions    #R152.4 En56
Ethics    #R170 En56
Encyclopedia of Ethics    #R170.3 En56
 

Contemporary Authors    #R928.1 C761c
American Writers    #R810.9 A512
Short Story Writers    #R809.3 S559
 

Circulating  books:

An example of an author search:

An example of a sujbect search:

However, through the Electronic Resources link on the COS Library’s Web Site, a student can locate indexing and many full-text periodical articles regardless of whether the LRC subscribes to the source. Because these indexes are part of what is known as the Invisible Web, that is, proprietary databases, they are available by subscription only; the LRC pays fees so that COS students can use them. If a student is off campus, passwords are necessary to access these databases. Passwords are available for COS students at the COS LRC Information Desk or by calling (559) 737-6179. Below is a list of the Periodical Databases the COS Library makes available by subscription for COS students:

• InfoTrac  is a periodical index database that works well when using a subject search. When entering a subject search, you can use broad terms, because the index will automatically help to narrow the search. This index is not completely full-text.

• Academic Abstracts is a periodical index database that works well when using a key-word search. When entering a key-word search, you need to use precise words and the more words you add, the narrower the search becomes. This index is not completely full-text.

• Fresno Bee and Los Angeles Times are databases that provide access to the full-text articles of these two newspapers from 1985 forward. These databases are particularly good for finding information concerning the San Joaquin Valley and the rest of California.

• Lexis/Nexis is a database that provides access to full-text articles from newspapers across the nation and some international newspapers. It is also an excellent source for finding specific court cases.

• CQ Researcher is a company that creates a database of original reports concerning current and controversial topics. The reports are generally unbiased and  almost always have statistics and other brief facts. The reports average 25 pages in length. It can be searched by key word or subject (topic)

• SIRS (Social Issues Research Series) is a database of full-text articles mainly from magazines and newspapers with emphasis on current and controversial topics. It can be searched by key word or subject.

KEYWORDS FOR SEARCHING DATABASES/INDEXES:

OXFAM

Denali National Park and Preserve

About Jon Krakauer

This page was created: March 2007   This page was last updated: 03/15/2007
For Questions and Comments, please mail to ginah@cos.edu