Author: Ms. Erica J. Getts

Did you know that if you if you need somewhere to do group work, have a virtual meeting, or record a podcast that the Weinberg Memorial Library offers spaces for that and more! There are group study rooms on floors 1-4 of the library that are available for Scranton students. They can be booked up to a week in advance for up to two hours in one day. 

If you know that you are going to need a space and want to make sure a room is available, you can book one of the rooms on the first or second floors! There are additional rooms on our quiet study floors, floors three and four, where the rooms can be used on a first-come-first-service basis.  

Some of the rooms even come with technology like large wall mounted monitors, which you can connect your devices to make group work more streamlined. There are even special rooms for audio or video recording! You’ll also find low-tech tools like white boards—if you need a dry erase marker just stop by the Research Services desk or Circulation desk and ask.  

One of our most frequently asked questions (FAQs) at the Research Services desk is how to find articles on a specific topic. While the details of your research (e.g. topic and assignment requirements) will make a difference in the approach you should take, there are some general recommendations you can apply to your research. 

First, you need to find a database that will have the information you need. To locate databases that cover your topic start at your MyScranton account, select the Library tab, and then under the list of “Library Links” click on Databases. Once you are on the Databases page, you will be able to “Browse databases by subject” using the drop-down menu there. If your subject is not listed select General Topics.  

Now, you can look through the list of databases suggested for your subject area. Read their descriptions to see what type of content they cover so you can select the right database(s) to search in. For example, if you need articles covering bridal ceremonies in ancient Rome, you will not use databases like Current Affairs in Video or Statista because they contain videos on hot topics and business statical reports, respectively. Instead, you should reference databases such as JSTOR or America: History & Life, both of which cover history.  

Once you have selected a database, you can put together a search strategy. Do not type complete questions into a database! Instead, break your topic down into keywords and input those into the database’s search boxes. A search strategy for bridal ceremonies in ancient Rome might look like:
(((bridal or marriage or wedding) AND (ceremon*)) AND (Rome))

If you need help crafting a search strategy, please contact a Research and Instruction Librarian!  

After you run your search, look through the list of results to find articles you can use. This is a great point in the search process to learn new keywords to incorporate into your search strategy or add additional limiters such as publication date (these filters/limiters will often be located to the left of your search results).  

If you locate an article of interest but are having trouble finding the full text, you can review the Library’s set of FAQs on how to find the full text of an article. 

In one fell swoop, the Library’s eBook collection grew by over 16,000 titles this month. This is thanks to the addition of the entire collection of eBooks published by Oxford University Press on the Oxford Scholarship Online platform, including the complete backlist and all frontlist titles through 2022. If you’d like to browse these titles individually, you can do so by checking out Oxford Scholarship Online, but these titles can also be found when searching in the Library’s catalog.

When searching the Oxford Scholarship Online platform, users should select the Oxford Scholarship Online radio button to search the eBook collection.

 

These eBooks come with a few additional perks:

1. They allow for unlimited simultaneous users, which means that every student, faculty, and staff member here at Scranton could be reading the same book at the same time.
2. They are DRM-free, which provides a major bonus from a user standpoint: no limit on the number of pages you can print or save as a PDF!
3. These materials can also be used for in-classroom use so that Professors can include readings from Oxford eBooks with no concerns about copyright violations and at no cost to students!

These titles are interdisciplinary, covering topics such as law, medicine, music, business, and more! Additionally, we expect this already extensive collection to grow by about 1,000 titles a year.

The purchase of the Oxford Scholarship Online eBooks was made possible through the Library’s membership in PALCI, the Pennsylvania Academic Library Consortium, Inc., who secured ownership of the titles for all of its members.

Here is an example of a record for an eBook within this collection. You’ll notice features that allow you to jump to a specific page, search within the book, open to a specific section, and more!

If you’d like to learn more about this or any other resource in the Library, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Can’t make it to the Library? No worries—there are a multitude of library resources available to you from wherever you can connect to the internet! The Weinberg Memorial Library provides access to eBooks, articles, videos, and more that you can connect with instantly from your computer or mobile device. You can even connect with a librarian virtually via chat, email, or the phone!

To find resources online that you can access right away, check out the complete list of databases available to current University of Scranton students, staff, and faculty. If you aren’t sure what database to start with, choose your research area from the “Browse Databases by Subject” drop down box. Then, you can browse through the list of suggested databases. The databases contain scholarly articles, newspapers, videos, dictionaries, and more! Tip: Read the brief description corresponding to each databases to learn what type of content it covers.

If you’d like to browse for an answer, you can review the Research Guides, which provide assistance for certain courses, help with citations, information about 3D printing, and other helpful tips & topics.

Finally, if you need more personalized help from a distance, you can contact a librarian using a few different methods. One of the most popular ways to reach us is the chat box that you see all over the Library’s website. You can also get in touch by email or phone via: askalibrarian@scranton.edu or 570-941-4000. The librarians are more than happy to help, so please don’t hesitate to get in touch with any questions you may have!