|
|
|
Library Guides: English 1
Jacqueline Lawton, Instructor REFERENCE BOOKS: Located on the first floor of the library behind the Reference Desk. These books must remain in the library. Reference books include dictionaries, almanacs and encyclopedias. Specialized or subject encyclopedias (concentrating on a particular subject instead of covering all knowledge) are excellent starting points for research. They are focused on a particular topic, cover the major concepts of the topic, are written by experts in the field, and often have bibliographies or other references. Examples of Reference books in the COS library are as follows:
Twentieth Century Teen Culture by the Decades
R 305.235 R754 CIRCULATING BOOKS: Located on the second floor of the library. Our newest books are, for the most part, in the areas of science and social issues, and current topics, because we try to build the collection to the type of assignments given to students. Some subject headings and key words to use in searching are in the table below:
PERIODICALS INDEXES AND DATABASES: Located on the first floor of the library. Periodicals refer to information printed over a period of time such as magazines, journals and newspapers. These are excellent sources for current and authoritative information. To find an article on a specific topic, it is necessary to use an index. Indexes are available in paper and electronic formats. The library subscribes to approximately 23 indexes, 300 periodicals and 13 newspapers. For a list of which periodicals and indexes are available at COS click on the link: http://www.cos.edu/library/periodicalsalpha.htm . For periodicals that the COS Library does not have available, there is also the possibility of an Inter-Library Loan from Fresno State University.ALSO, through the Electronic Resources link, http://cos.edu/library/electronic.htm, on the COS Library’s Web Site, there are links to the electronic index subscription databases that the library makes available to COS students. Many of these indexes offer full-text articles, which means the entire article will be available even if the library doesn't subscribe to the periodical itself. If a student is off campus, passwords are necessary to access these databases. Passwords are available for COS students at the COS Library Information Desk or by calling the Library at (559) 737-6179.
InfoTrac is a periodical index database that works well when using a subject search. When entering a subject search, you can use broad terms, because the index will automatically help to narrow the search. This index is not completely full-text. Academic Abstracts is a periodical index database that works well when using a key-word search. When entering a key-word search, you need to use precise words and the more words you add, the narrower the search becomes. This index is not completely full-text. Fresno Bee and Los Angeles Times are databases that provide access to the full-text articles of these two newspapers from 1985 forward. These databases are particularly good for finding information concerning the San Joaquin Valley and the rest of California. Lexis/Nexis is a database that provided access to full-text articles from newspapers across the nation and some international newspapers. It is also an excellent source for finding specific court cases. CQ Researcher is a company that creates a database of original reports concerning current and controversial topics. The reports are generally unbiased and almost always have statistics and other brief facts. The reports average 25 pages in length. SIRS (Social Issues Research Series) is a database of full-text articles from magazines and newspapers with emphasis on current and controversial topics. It can be searched by key word or subject. Web
Sites:
Developmental Psychology: Special Section: Children
Family, Friends & Community: Teens and Technology
The MySpace Generation
Pew Internet & American Life Project Report: Online Dating
Family, Friends & Community: The Strength of Internet Ties
How MySpace Works
Who Are the Gen Y Students? The above web sites were researched at the Librarians' Internet Index Site, which is an excellent directory of annotated web sites. You are visitor number:
|
| ||||||||||||
