These videos are part of a playlist to tips that cover a lot of the basics when it comes to searching in the library, but most important to remember is that searching can take some time, so don't give up and don't be afraid to ask for help from the library staff! Also, keep in mind that there are plenty of little tricks and unique features that don't always get mentioned in general overviews - check out videos made by different databases, as well as our subject-specific research guides, or set up an appointment with a research librarian to work out a search strategy together!
Searching through all the resources at the library can be a big job sometimes. Remember, if you are working on a research project, you should be using your research topic to help you keep your search manageable, but you may also learn things that will make you go back and tweak your thesis. The most important thing is to be persistent - try alternatives and related ideas, be flexible, and feel free to ask the library staff about any question you have!
The videos here will give you a good intro to searching, but here are a few, other, particular things to keep in mind:
This video has some important information about what's happening at Hekman as we reopen, including how you can place holds on print books and pick them up.
Looking for online books for your classes? This video will cover how to look up ebooks in our collection by searching in the Hekman Library catalog. See also the Part 2 video for more on how to access these ebooks once you've found them.
Encyclopedias, dictionaries, and other reference sources can be a great place to start your research and get basic info about a topic - this video looks specifically at online encyclopedias like Gale Ebooks, Sage Knowledge, and Oxford Reference Online.
This video will show you how to select from the many research databases accessible through Hekman online. Remember that off-campus, you will need to be logged in through the library website to ensure your free access.
You can find all these and new ones added frequently to the Hekman Library Youtube channel, including our playlist of short Hekman TechTips videos, which covers how to link Google Scholar to Hekman Library, how to find and access ebooks, how to choose databases and get to full text, how to fact-check online sources, and more!