The Len and Dixie Hannon Library at Southern Oregon University is small compared to many academic libraries, but its history collections are well-developed and cover most of world history. Students facing the task of locating useful and important source materials can find themselves confused and lost in a maze of books, journals, and reference materials.
Nevertheless, most student research will require at least some use of off-campus or electronic delivery of books and articles. The Summit Union Catalog Consortium, of which the Hannon Library is a member, can provide most of what you need from off-campus with only a few days wait. Items not held within the Summit system can be requested by ILL with delivery times in most cases of one to two weeks. Given the short academic terms at SOU, early planning and preparation in your research is a must.
Over the next several postings, I will present a number of ideas and suggestions to make your library research task easier and more satisfying.
Here is an outline of the library research process.
- Develop a list of search terms.
- Develop a list of search sources.
- Create a working bibliography.
- Sort your sources.
- “Mine” for Citations.
- Create Final Bibliography.
1. Develop a list of search terms. You will use these to search on-line in the Summit union catalog (which of course includes materials owned by SOU), and to search in printed indexes, bibliographies, and other finding aids. Continue reading →