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FYS: Elements of the Essay

November 20, 2008

   Shirley Knight                                                         Scott Craig, Instructor

   sknight@ramapo.edu, x7315                                  INTD: 101- 23

 I. Library Homepage   Provides access to the catalog (OPAC), databases, other materials and services etc.

_______________________________________________________________________

• First Year Seminar Page  Information on library research for all FYS classes

• Course Reserve  -Need either Ramapo ID (R#) or barcode (provided by the library)

• Q&A New Jersey - Reference assistance when there is no reference librarian available

• Library Research Work Sheet - Use to track your research and refer back to when compiling your work cited list

 II.  Reference Material

Titles	Call Numbers
Encyclopedia of World Sports	Ref  GV567 .E55           1999
Barbie Nation	Ref NK 4894.3 .B23       1998 (video) ( Located at the Access Services Desk)
Hot Property: the stealing of ideas in an age of globalization	Ref K1401 .C48575      2004
Genocide	Ref D804.3 .B45 G3     1982
Art, Culture, and Media Under the Third Reich	Ref  NX 550 .A1 A778    2002 (circulating book)

III. Finding Books at the Potter Library

• Catalog: use this to find books, journal titles NOT ARTICLES, government documents, reserve items, music and movies owned by the Library. You may limit a search by language, year(s) of publication, type of material, etc. This may take a few seconds to load.

• Search the catalog using Keywords to find materials using keywords
  • For example: search for "steroids"to locate a broad range of material and look for ideas for your project.
  • Use quotation marks around a multi-word phrase to narrow your results, i.e. "heart surgery" or "snow boarding"

                                                                                    OR

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

                                                                                        Tips

1. Start with broad searches. It is 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. Can "virtually" browse the shelves by clicking on the call number in a record

IV. Find Articles at the Potter Library

Use the following online Databases ( Electronic Resource) for finding articles

• Alphabetic list
• Some suggested Databases (Electronic Resources) for finding articles
• Use these databases to locate journal articles
• These databases are available ONLY to Ramapo students
• Off campus use requires your Ramapo email and password

(Scholary/Peer Reviewed/Referred articles have been reviewed by a selected panel of

                       experts in the discipline covered by that journal).

V. Journal Finder and Interlibrary Loans

• .Journal Finder :  An online periodical directiory that indicates whether a journal is available full-text online, and in print or available on microfilm in the librarys' collection.

• Interlibrary Loans - Allows students to borrow a book or article that the Potter Library does not own. There is a link from the Journal Finder page

 VI. Finding Web Sites at the Potter Library

• Use the Holocaust and Genocide links under Subject Resources to locate information on genocide.
• Use the Online Digital Ballparks.to locate information on museum stadiums by state and more.

• Use Evaluating WebSites  to determine if the site is authorative enough to use in your paper

 VII.  Preparing Bibliographies

• Academic Integrity give credit where credit is due

• Use Citing Sources for examples of "In Text Citations" and "Works Cited"
• Use Citing Websites and Print Sources to get the call number for the print version of the of MLA style manual.
• See also, the Library's Research Tutorials - A series of self paced instructional components to introduce you to important research concepts and use of the George T. Potter Library

• For further information consult either, "The Open Handbook" or Elements of Style at (Ref  PE 1408 .S772) 

Need more help?

• Contact sknight@ramapo.edu or 201. 684.7315

• Visit or call the Reference Desk: 201.684.7574