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LS 102 Course Materials: Searching at Sims

Introduction to Information Research

Searching at Sims Library: Getting to Know the Homepage

Go to the library homepage.

http://southeastern.edu/library/

When you look at the Sims Library homepage, you will see a box with labeled tabs. Each tab provides online access to different library resources to use for your coursework at Southeastern.

These tabs are explained in the boxes and video below:

Sims Library Homepage -- What Each Tab Will Do

Screenshot of Quick Search Tab

The Quick Search tab provides a discovery tool, which is a database of databases. It searches many of our databases and may provide huge numbers of results, similar to web search engines.

You have several options to focus your search and get more useful results. You can target your search to the “Title” or “Author” fields or limit your results to “Full Text” and “Peer Reviewed” items. On your results screen, you can also use “Source Types” listed on the left side to show specific formats: magazines, books, news sources, academic journals, reports, conference materials, videos, and more.

Screenshot of Books & More Tab

The Books & More tab provides access to our library’s online catalog, a database which lists books and other materials, such as journals and videos, that Sims Library owns. In addition to the basic search, there is also a link to the catalog’s “Advanced Search” which lets you target several fields at once. The tab also provides links to online guides that show you how to search for online books (“eBooks LibGuide”), and videos (“Videos LibGuide). Finally, the "Related Links" allow you to access your Sims Library account to see what you have checked out or to renew materials.

Screenshot of Articles & Databases Tab

 

The Articles & Databases tab acts as your main access point to Sims Library’s subscription (paid for) databases. These databases contain content ranging from scholarly articles to magazine and newspaper articles, as well as e-books, videos, and more.

The tab is divided into three main headings:

  • “Databases by Subject:” This heading lets you choose databases based on your field of study. You can select an academic subject from the drop down menu labeled "Choose your Curriculum." Selecting a subject from the list redirects you to a list of recommended databases that contain materials appropriate to that field.

  • “Databases by Name:” This heading lets you choose databases based on their names. It features various alphabetic ranges. When you select a range, you go to a page with an alphabetical list of databases. If you want to know what’s in the database, you can select the icon: The more information icon is a small circle to the right of each database title. Hovering over the icon generates the text "More information." Selecting this more information icon redirects you to a page with additional details about the database.

  • “Favorite Databases:” This heading provides a convenient short list of our most popular interdisciplinary databases. Interdisciplinary means that the materials cover a wide range of subjects, rather than focusing only on one.

Screenshot of Ejournals Tab

 

The eJournals tab provides a way to browse journals by discipline. It also allows you to search for a particular keyword in the title of either the journal or the article.  Clicking the link “Publications Finder” lets you search for a journal and find out which of our databases contains its articles. These features are mostly useful in upper-level courses, such as when professors want you to look at journals in your subject area.

This tab also provides a link to Flipster, a database that allows you to access recent issues of popular magazines like People, Time, Sports Illustrated, Essence, and Rolling Stone.

Screenshot of Research Guides Tab

The Research Guides tab provides access to a variety of research guides, also referred to as LibGuides. These guides will point you to many sources of information on a subject or for a particular Southeastern course. For example, there’s a research guide for NLAB 334 (an upper-level nursing course) featuring resources for Community Assessments. There’s also a Citation research guide to help with citing sources. Additionally, twice a year Common Read research guides are created with suggested sources, book reviews, and other tools to help students as they write about that year’s reading.

Screenshot of Borrown from Other Libraries (ILL) Tab

The Borrow from other Libraries (ILL) tab provides information and resources for our interlibrary loan, or ILL, service. ILL lets us borrow a book or article you need from another library, for free, if we don't have it here at Sims. The first link takes you to register through Illiad, our ILL system. After registering, you can use the ILL Login link to request materials and check the status of your requests. The Learn More about Interlibrary Loan link takes you to a research guide that walks you through the ILL process, including how to make a request.

Navigating Sims Library Homepage Video

Video Length: About 5 minutes (5:29)

Finding Stuff at Sims Library

Check the catalog record to see on what floor your item is located.

Check floor maps on each floor for directions to the area with your call number.

Bookshelves (Stacks) will have signs on the end of each shelf indicating which range of letters (LC) or numbers (DDC) they contain. SuDoc locations are also noted.

If you have difficulty finding your item, just ask the folks at the “Ask Questions Here” desk on the 1st floor. We will be happy to assist you.

Sims Library -- Ask a Librarian graphic