Library Guides: English 1
Jacqueline Lawton, Instructor
Gina Haycock, Librarian
The address of this page is:
http://cos.edu/library/libraryguideseng1lawton.htm
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
Statistical Abstract of the United States
R 317.3 un58
World Almanac and Book of Facts R 317.3 W927
West's Encyclopedia of American Law R 349.7303 W538
Encyclopedia of White-Collar & Corporate Crime
R 364.168
E56
Cybercrime: A Reference Handbook R 364.168
American Decades R 973.92 A512
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:
| Information technology--Moral and ethical aspects | Information superhighway--United States |
| Internet (Computer network)--United States | Internet--Social aspects |
| Information technology--Social aspects | Information society |
| Computer networks--Psychological aspects | Blogs |
| Internet--Security measures | Computers and civilization |
| Privacy, right of | Computer age |
| Social networks | Web sites |
| Mass society | Internet and children |
| Teenagers | Wireless communication systems |
| Digital communications | Mobile communication systems |
| Technology--social aspects | Technology & Civilization |
| Communication and technology | Electronic mail systems |
| Intergenerational relations | Instant messaging OR IM |
| Computers and children | Generations |
| Internet and teenagers | Internet pornography |
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:
The following we sites have been carefully
selected and annotated; however, because just about anyone
can publish just about anything on the web, evaluation of
web sites is very important. This
web evaluation link gives criteria and examples
for evaluating web sites suitable for research projects/papers.
This nationwide survey of bloggers found that "most are focused on describing
their personal experiences to a relatively small audience of readers and that
only a small proportion focus their coverage on politics, media, government, or
technology." A 2006 report from the Pew Internet & American Life Project, an
initiative funded by the Pew Charitable Trusts.
Developmental Psychology: Special Section: Children
Series of articles on psychology topics related to youth and the Internet
from the journal published by the American Psychological Association
Family, Friends & Community: Teens and Technology
Discussion of technology and how it is shaping the world of teens today
published by Pew Internet & American Life Project.
The MySpace Generation
This December 2005 cover story from Business Week magazine discussed
current teen online computer usage.
Pew Internet & American Life Project Report: Online Dating
Provides a March 2006 full-text report.
Family, Friends & Community: The Strength of Internet Ties
A January 2005 Pew full text Internet report concluding that "the internet
and email expand and strengthen the social ties that people maintain in the
offline world."
How MySpace Works
Discusses social networking as it is practiced online explained by the web
site: How Stuff Works.
Who Are the Gen Y Students?
Presents characteristics of Gen Y (those born between 1979 and 1997) published
by California State University Chico.
The above web sites were researched at the Librarians' Internet Index Site, which is an excellent directory of annotated web sites.
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This page was created September 2006. This page was last updated:
11/05/2009
For questions and comments, please mail to:
ginah@cos.edu