• Catalog: use this to find books, periodical titles (NOT articles ), 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.

• Use the Basic Search to find material using Keywords
  • For example: search for colonial mexico to locate a broad range of materials the library has on these keywords
  • Use quotation marks around a multi-word phrase so that the system will treat it as a single term, i.e., "colonial mexico"
  • When you find an appropriate title, click on the Related Records tab located at the top of a catalog record to see which Library of Congress subject headings are discussed in that particular book/DVD/periodical

 

OR

• Search the catalog using Subject Browse feature if you know the relevant Library of Congress subject heading
• For example:
  • Mexico--Civilization
    • Or see breakdown by time period
  • Latin America History to 1600

OR

• Go to Advanced Search
  • The Boolean search terms are built in for your use:
    • AND: you are commanding the system to search for material on both terms you've entered
    • OR: you are commanding the system to search for meaterial on either of the search terms you have entered
    • NOT: you are commanding the system to search for material on the first term you have entered and to exclude any material on the second term you have entered
  • The catalog system will provide morre focused results

   Tips

1. Start with broad searches. It is much easier to discard too much rather than start with too little.
2. Don't write full sentences in search box. Identify a few keywords and search those.
3. If you don't know the Subject Heading, use the Related Records tab located on the top of a catalog record to get to the headings. This will help you focus in on more relevant material.
4. Can "virtually" browse the shelves by clicking on the call number in a record.

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• The reference stacks are located on the 3rd floor (this is also the library's entrance).
• Some useful materials for your projects:
   

   Tips

1. Use reference books to browse for project ideas and to get started on your research
2. Use the bibliographies at the end of articles, books, encyclopedias, and dictionaries to locate more material on your topic

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Some useful Databases for your projects:

1. Switch to 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. For Example: spanish and (conquest or conquistador?) and mexico
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 database.

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• Interlibrary Loan: allows you to borrow a book or article that the George T. Potter library does not own. There is also a link from the Journal Finder page.
  • Find this link under Quick Links on the library's homepage

• Journal Finder: locate the full text of articles in specific periodicalss (journals, newspapers, magazines)to which we have access either in our print or microform collection or through a full-text database.
  • Find this link under Quick Links on the library's homepage
  • Useful journals for your reserach to which we provide access in print and/or via a database:
    • NACLA (North American Congress on Latin America) Report on the Americas)
    • Latin American Research Review
    • Latin American Perspectives
    • Journal of Latin American Cultural Studies (TraveSia)
  • If you search for a journal to which we do not provide access, you will find a link to an Interlibrary Loan Request form for an article.

VII. Preparing Bibliographies

• Citing Sources (Duke University) for examples of APA, ASA, Chicago, MLA, and Turabian citation styles
• Style handbooks are also kept on reserve at the Circulation Desk
• Always be consistent and follow the examples for the required style format

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• Library of Congress Country Studies

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