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Resources for Fun and General Academic Purposes

WebCat - the database used to locate books and all other materials owned by the University Libraries.  Don't forget that "ink on paper" resources are generally authoritative and are still the easiest to use for many questions.  Remember too, that "Power Search" allows you to limit to by item type (journals and magazines for example), by language, publication date(s) etc.

Research Databases - these proprietary databases are leased by the Shenandoah University Libraries at a cost of tens of thousands of dollars annually.  They include materials which are accurate and authoritative and have search interfaces designed by experts to make your search for information easier.  Using these databases will generally provide more accurate information, more quickly and easily, than using "free" Internet sources.

Selected Websites - Caution:  The sites listed below are available "free" of charge on the Internet.  They have been selected by experts for their accuracy and reliability.  However, one should always use a critical eye in evaluating information found for free on the WWW. 

Print Resources - books held in the Smith Library

Library Home - Catalog - Journal Locator - Databases - Internet Resources - Media - Reference/Instruction - User Services - General Info -
Off-Campus Support - Forms - Faculty Info - Other Libraries - Site Index

        Research Databases        

Academic OneFile - provides indexing to more than 11,000 scholarly journals in the humanities, sciences and social sciences. The fulltext of articles is available for approximately 3,500 of the titles indexed. Some of the journals indexed may be available in the University Libraries. (remote access requires username and password)

JSTOR - an archive of scholarly journals providing the fulltext (PDF files) of hundreds of  journals from all disciplines.  Coverage extends back decades for many titles, but most have a "moving wall" which blocks access to the most recent articles.

Academic Search  -  is really fun to use.  In "Today's News," which is updated several times daily, you can read leading American and world newspapers.  Coverage includes access to fulltext of nearly 5,000 publications ranging from general news to business, legal, medical and reference information.  Coverage of state and federal law and the judiciary is especially strong.  Coverage of some publications begins as early as 1980.  (remote access requires username and password)

Journal Locator - is an alphabetical list of journals and magazines to which the University Libraries provide access.  This title list will, in most cases, tell you the dates available for a particular electronic title, and you can connect to the appropriate database.  You can then search the database for the title you need. 
If we subscribe to a title in print format, SU Journal Collection will be stated and you can connect to the catalog record which will show our subscription holdings.  The catalog record will tell you whether a title is available in paper or on microfilm.  Approximately 27,000 titles are now listed.

NEW  --  Search and Browse Journal Locator  -  Find Both Print and Electronic Journals Available Through University Libraries

InterLibrary Loan Forms - just click here to bring up the forms for books and journals.  Remember, you must make sure that we do not have access to what you need in our local collection, BEFORE you make a request.  Paper versions of these forms are available at the circulation and reference desks of the University Libraries.

WorldCat - if you cannot find the book you're looking for in the Smith Library, WorldCat contains records of over 95 million items in over 400 languages from over 60,000 participating libraries from around the world.  As you might expect, most records are of books, but you will find records of any conceivable item a library might own including audio and video recordings, computer programs, archival materials, maps, music scores and more.  Some items in this database date to before 1,000 B.C. Approximately one million items are being added annually, and WorldCat is updated daily.  (remote access requires username and password)

    Remember to read on-screen instructions; some systems are actually quite friendly.

     Use online help features for more detailed explanations of how to search each particular
     database.
 

     Always feel free to ask a librarian for help!!

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                         Web Sites            

Caution:  The sites listed below are available free of charge on the Internet.  They have been selected by experts for their accuracy and reliability, however one should always use a critical eye in evaluating information found free on the WWW.
 

TILT  -  is an online interactive tutorial for learning the basics of Information Literacy.  "By increasing your information literacy skills, you can more effectively select, search, and evaluate" a wide variety of  sources including those found in print, on proprietary databases, and the Internet.  Provided courtesy of the University of Texas System Digital Library.

Shenandoah University Academic Support Center  -   click on their "Library Resources" link to find topics which include time management, stress management, self discipline, reading text books, test taking and many other helpful topics.  Remember, the Academic Support Center want to help you become a more effective learner.

Internet Sources  -  try the digital reference area, the best search engines and Internet directories, or browse selected websites organized by SU major. 

Learn How to Evaluate Web Resources

Publishers Wanted, No Experience Necessary:   Information Quality on the Web is provided courtesy of Genie Tyburski, a Research Librarian for Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and the Law Library Resource Exchange.

Evaluating Web Resources was created by Jan Alexander and Marsha Ann Tate at Widener University's Wolfgram Memorial Library.  It provides criteria for evaluating a variety of WWW pages including advocacy web pages, business/marketing pages, news pages, informational pages and personal pages.

Library Instruction Round Table - Website Evaluation Criteria comes to us courtesy of the American Library Association and Billie Peterson at Baylor University.

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Resources from the Smith Library Print Collection

All reference books are on the first floor of Smith Library and have an "R" as the first letter in their call number. 
Items in our "circulating" (can be borrowed) collection are located on the second floor of Smith Library.
 

Encyclopedias and Dictionaries are found on the first floor of the Smith Library.  They are located in the study room on the west side of the building near the Reference Collection.  Here are a few samples:
 

Almanacs      R 310.W89

Statistical Abstracts of the United States  R 317.3 Un33

Atlases are in a special cabinet near the microform readers on the first floor.

Other reference books which may be helpful to you include:

Topical Encyclopedias for music, art, history, psychology, social sciences, history, chemistry etc.
Facts on File

CQ Researcher
Europa World Yearbook

Biographical Sources

American National Biography
Biography Index
Current Biography Index

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