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

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

II. 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 material
  • For example: search for ethnicity or ethnic cleansing to locate a broad range of materials the library has on those keywords

OR

• Search the catalog using Subject Browse feature ONLY if you know the Library of Congress Subject Headings

• For example:

Kurds-Iran

Rwanda

• 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.

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 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.
3. Can "virtually" browse the shelves by clicking on the call number in a record.

III. Reference Material

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

Encyclopedia of Modern Ethnic Conflicts	Ref GN 496.E56 2003
Internationally Displaced People: a global survey	Ref HV 640.I516 2002
Encyclopedia of Nationalism	Ref JC 311.E52 2001
Nationalism and Ethnicity Terminologies: an encyclopedic dictionary and research guide	Ref JC 311.S64 1999
Within Our Gates: Ethnicity in American Feature Films, 1911-1960	Ref PN 1995.9.M56 W58 1997
The Handbook of Ethical Research with Ethnocultural Populations and Communities	Ref GN495.4 T75 2006

Tips

1. Use Reference books for background information.
2. Use the reference sources for further information. Check book citations through the Catalog and use Journal Finder to look up article references.

IV. Electronic Resources

• Some useful Databases for your projects:

1. Always switch to the Advance Search page in a database. This will give you more control over your results.
2. Always 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 database.
5. Use the Databases A-Z page to browse for other databases.

• Journal Finder: this provides information regarding if a journal is available full-text online, in print in the library, or available on microfilm.
• Interlibrary Loan: allows studens to borrow a book or article that the Potter library does not own. There is a link from the Journal Finder page.

Both of these links can be found under QUICK LINKS on the library's homepage.

Use the Citing Websites and Print Sources for "Works Cited" citation style guidance.

Use Citing Sources for examples of "In-Text Citations" and "Works Cited".

VI. Using Web Sources

Use Evaluating Websites to determine if the site is authoritative enough to use in your paper.