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Developmental Writing

WRIT 021; Prof. R. Turner
Guide for finding sources at the George T. Potter Library
 

October 17 , 2008

Susan B. Kurzmann

skurzman@ramapo.edu

• Library Homepage
• Find Books
• Reference Material
• Find Articles (Databases)
• Journal Finder and Interlibrary Loan
• Using Web Sources
• Bibliographies

 I. Library Homepage: http://library.ramapo.edu

Provides access to the catalog (OPAC), databases, interlibrary loan forms, etc.

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II. Find Books

Catalog: use this to find books, periodical titles (NOT articles ), government documents, reserve items, music,and movies owned by the Library. You can limit a search by language, year(s) of publication, type of material, etc.

Use the Basic Search to find material using Keywords

• For example: search for folklore or folktales to locate a broad range of materials the library has on these keywords
• Your results will come up ranked by relevance. You can then re-sort them by title, author, publish [=publication] date, or publish date descending
• When you find an appropriate title, click on the Subjects, etc. tab located at the top of a catalog record to see the subject headings associated with that particular item. These linked subject headings will take you to other material on the same subject matter.

OR

• Search the catalog using the Subject Browse feature if you know the relevant Library of Congress subject heading, for example:

• Folklore - [name of country, e.g., Italy]
• Folklore and children
• Folk literature
• Tales

OR

• Use the Advanced Search option
  • The Boolean search terms are built in for your use:
    • AND: you're directing the system to search for material that addresses both terms you've entered
    • OR: you're directing the system to search for material on either of the search terms you have entered
    • NOT: you're directing the system to search for material on the first term you've entered and to exclude any material on the second term you've entered
  • The catalog system will provide more focused results

     

TIPS

1. Start with broad searches. It's much easier to discard too much rather than start with too little.
2. If you don't know the Subject Heading, use the Subjects, etc. tab located on the top of a catalog record to get to the headings. This will help you focus in on more relevant material.
3. You can "virtually" browse the shelves by clicking on the call number in a record

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 III. Reference Material

• The reference stacks are located on the 3rd floor (this is also the library's entrance).

• Useful reference materials for your projects:

African Folklore: An Encyclopedia	Ref GR350.A33 2004
American Folktales: From the Collections of the Library of Congress	Ref GR105.5.A44 2004
The Cambridge History of English and American Literature	(Online access: direct access on campus. From off-campus, you might have to go to the Online Reference Shelf: Encyclopedias: Arts and Humanities page)
A Dictionary of Folklore	Ref GR35.P5 1999
Dictionary of Chicano Folklore	Ref GR35.P5 1999
Encyclopedia of American Folklore	Ref GR105.W38 2007
Folklore: An Encyclopedia of Beliefs, Customs, Tales, Music, and Art	Ref GR35.F63 1997
The Greenwood Encyclopedia of African American Folklore	Ref GR111.A47 G74 2006
The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Folktales and Fairy Tales	Ref GR74.G73 2008
Ireland in Fiction: A Guide to Irish Novels, Tales, Romances, and Folklore	Ref Z2039.F4 B8 1969
Medieval Folklore: An Encyclopedia of Myths, Legends, Tales, Beliefs, and Customs	Ref GR35.M43 2000
South Asian Folklore: An Encyclopedia: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka	Ref GR302.S68 2003

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IV. Find Articles (Databases)

Some useful Databases for your projects:

TIPS

1. Use the Advanced Search page in a database. This will give you more control over your results
2. Use Boolean Operators (AND, OR, NOT) and quotation marks when running a search.
3. Always check your Spelling if the database results are zero
4. Use the Subject Terms or Thesaurus link if available to find the best terms to use in a particular database

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• Journal Finder: locate the full text of articles in specific periodicals (journals, newspapers, magazines) to which we have access either in our print or microform collection or through a full-text database. Linked under Quick Links on the library's homepage. 

• Interlibrary Loan: allows you to borrow a book or article that our library doesn't own. There is a link from the Journal Finder page and under Quick Links on the library's homepage.

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VI. Using Web Sources

Useful Websites:

• Folklore and Mythology Electronic Texts University of Pittsburgh

• Regional Folklore and Mythology Webpage created by Philip R. "Pib" Burns of Northwestern University

• What is Folklore? The New York Folklore Society

• PBS: American Experience

American Experience and many other PBS programs are good sources of information

      

*For Web searching, consult Evaluating Websites to determine if the site is authoritative enough to use in your paper

Check the following Subject Resource linked under History:

 

• The Library of Congress: American Memory

  Access to primary source documents: written and spoken words, sound recordings, still and moving images, prints, maps, and sheet music

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VII. Bibliographies and Annotated Bibliographies

• Use the Citing Websites and Print Sources for "Works Cited" citation style guidance
  • Follow the examples given for the MLA citation style
  • Help with the MLA Citation Style and examples
  • Style manuals are kept at the Circulation Desk

 

• The Open Handbook Online / Ann Raimes with Maria Jerskey
• Annotated Bibliographies:

 

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Need more help? Visit or call the Reference Desk: 201.684.7574

OR

Use QandANJ.org: a 24/7 virtual chat with a reference librarian

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