Introduction to the Libraries and
Library Research
Where
are the Libraries?
The University Libraries comprise 36 libraries
at 24 locations throughout Pennsylvania (Locations
and Hours) - and, we deliver! The online resources
of the Libraries are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week,
365 days a year.
How do I find
out what Penn State owns?
The CAT
(short for catalog) contains information on the over 4 million
books, journals, documents, videos, music and more owned by
the Libraries. It does NOT provide a listing of
journal articles but will tell you if we own the journal or have
access to the fulltext.
(For more information
about using The CAT, consult the Quick
Guide to the CAT.)
Tip #1 : Use the
I WANT IT button in the CAT to have things delivered
for pickup or to request an item already in use.
(check
out this tutorial!)
Tip #2: My
Library Account shows you what you have checked out and
allows you to renew your books without coming to the library.
You can borrow up to 100 items; most items can be charged out
for 28 days before needing to be renewed.
What if Penn State
doesn't own an item or no copies are available?
If we do not own something or if all Penn State copies
are in use, we'll attempt to get it for you - for free!
Use ILLiad to request
items. Most items arrive within 7-10 working days. Photocopies are
scanned and emailed to you; books and other loans will be delivered
to the library of your choice for pickup.
Tip #3:Use the E-Z
Borrow service to borrow books quickly. E-ZBorrow draws from
other academic libraries in our region so materials arrive quickly
(3-5 days).
How
do I find articles on my research topic?
The Libraries subscribe to several hundred databases
that can help you locate journal articles and other resources.
Some of these databases include the fulltext of the article while
others link you to the fulltext.
Tip #4: These databases
are better resources than
Google. Use them!
Tip #7: When using
databases or the CAT, use
to quickly locate fulltext and/or where items are at Penn State.
When it works, it's a time saver.
How
do I find articles when all I have is a citation?
The first step is to figure out which piece of the citation
to search. Ask yourself if it is a book or a journal article?
For journal articles, look for two title-like entries - one for
the article title + another for the title of the journal (or book)
it appeared in. Always
use the second title-like entry to search in the CAT.
Examples:
Dating metamorphic reactions and fluid flow; application
to exhumation of high-P granulites in a crustal-scale shear
zone, western Canadian Shield
Mahan, K H; Goncalves, P; Williams, M L; Jercinovic, M J Journal of Metamorphic Geology, vol.24, no.3, pp.193-217,
Apr 2006
Title: Climate change in northern Africa: The past is not
the future
Author: Claussen M.; Petoukhov V.; Brovkin V., and others
Source: Climatic Change 57, no.1-2 (2003) p. 99-118
The Stately Cycles of Ancient Climate
Richard A. Kerr
Science, Vol. 252, No. 5010 (May, 1991), pp. 1254-1255
Tip #8: Try using Citation
Linker to help locate where your citation may be located.
to quickly locate fulltext and/or where items are at Penn State.
When it works, it's a time saver.