Finding Books - WebCat will help you find books in the Shenandoah University Libraries.  If we do not owe the book you need, you can try WorldCat which provides access to the holdings of 60,000 libraries world wide.

Finding Articles - Shenandoah University Libraries have contractual agreements with various publishers and others to provide you with the citations, abstracts, and in many cases, the fulltext of over 30,000 journals, magazines and newspapers.  These databases include materials which are authoritative and accurate, 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.  They are for the exclusive use of University students and faculty and are password protected. 
            Click here for information about passwords and off campus access.

Journal Locator - once you have a specific article in mind you are ready to use Journal Locator.  It is a comprehensive list (over 30,000) of all the journals, magazines, and newspapers to which University Libraries provide fulltext access electronically or in print.  It is searchable and you can browse it by subject.

Free Internet Sites - most resources listed here are provided by non-profit or government entities, and have been carefully selected for their authority and stability.  Although these web sites are "free" for anyone to use, they have been selected as reliable sources that provide accurate information.  As always, carefully evaluate all information found at free Internet sites.

Researcher Services - click for help with

            Ask a Librarian - Get Help with Research Projects or Any Question - Large or Small                

            Off-Campus - Distance Education Support                   Faculty Guide to Library Services

Databases for Finding Books

WebCat - the database used to locate books and all other materials owned by the Shenandoah 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.

WorldCat - contains records of over 95 million items in over 400 languages from 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, musical 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)

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Finding Articles in Journals, Magazines, and Newspapers

Databases Useful to Students of Environmental Studies

Geobase - provides citations to over 1 million articles taken from 2,000 journals and magazines  Coverage begins in 1980 and the database is updated monthly.  While not strictly an environmental sciences database, environmental topics are indexed.  (remote access requires username and password)

ScienceDirect College Editions - indexes over eight million articles in life and applied sciences.  Fulltext is available for many titles

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 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)

General OneFile - provides indexing to more than 10,000 periodicals and scholarly journals in the humanities, sciences and social sciences. The fulltext of articles is available for approximately 4,000 of the titles indexed. Some of the journals indexed may be available in the University Libraries. (remote access requires username and password)

Wilson Omnifile - provides access to indexing and abstracting for approximately 3,500 journals and magazines from the humanities, social sciences, and science and engineering, with fulltext available for about 1,750 titles.  Coverage for some titles begins as early as 1982.  (remote access requires username and password)

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)

Factiva - Dow Jones and Reuters provide access to a wealth of business information, including 70 million articles from 8,000 publications and newswires, plus company and industry reports and stock information.  (remote access requires username and password)

Government Printing Office - index to documents created by the EPA and all other federal government entities which may have to do with environmental protection including but not limited to Congressional reports, hearings, executive branch documents and judicial materials

Business Index ASAP - provides indexing to articles on investments and banking, finance, international trade, acquisitions and mergers, business trends, etc. Some full-text articles available.  (remote access requires username and password)

Miscellaneous Databases and Research Related Digitized Tools

Dissertation Abstracts - Indexed doctoral dissertations and theses from universities in the U.S. and abroad.  Over 1,560,000 items from all fields of study, dating back to 1861.  Abstracts provided for records since 1980 - thesis abstracts since 1988.  This database can be accessed both on-campus and off-campus through remote proxy access.  (remote access requires username and password)

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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.
Over 30,000 titles are now listed.

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

RefWorks - a bibliographic citation manager which allows users toImport citations from online databases to create your own personal bibliographic database. Off-campus Requires separate password - see Dr. Jacobs for access information

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. 

    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.
      

Tell Us About Your Project - Research Project Consultation

    Undergraduates can call:        David McKinney at 540-665-5444        or        Cindy Thomas at 540-665-5421

    Graduate students call:        Rosemary Green at 540-665-4634        or        David McKinney at 540-665-5444

Always feel free to ask a librarian for help!! 

We want to save you time, help you find the best materials, and help you learn to become a more efficient researcher.

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Free Internet Sites

As always, carefully evaluate all information found at free Internet sites. 

EnviroLink Library
eNature.com Online Field Guide - "is a searchable database for identifying more than 4,000 plant and animal species of North America"
American Field Guide - "over 1400 video clips that enable you to experience America's wilderness firsthand."  Courtesy of Oregon Public Broadcasting
Animal Info - "Information on Rare, Threatened and Endangered Mammals"
United States Fish and Wildlife National Image Library - The National Image Library contains still photo images of wildlife, plants, National Wildlife Refuges and other scenics, as well as wildlife management work. You may search all the images through the National Image Library, or you may search by individual collection
Endangered Earth - "a global source of information about the Earth's endangered species"
The Endangered Species Program - courtesy of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
One World Journeys - "the global network of individuals and groups sharing stories about their connection to nature"
National Counsel for Science and the Environment - "the National Council for Science and the Environment (NCSE) has been working since 1990 to improve the scientific basis for environmental decisionmaking. NCSE is supported by nearly 500 academic, scientific, environmental, and business organizations"
The 2000 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species - courtesy of the Species Survival Commission of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources
Plants Database - includes characteristics, classification, factsheets, invasive, threatened and more.  courtesy of the United States Department of Agriculture
United States Environmental Protection Agency
World Wildlife Federation - WWF's mission is to stop the degradation of the planet's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature
Encyclopedia of Atmospheric Environment - "The Atmosphere, Climate & Environment (ACE) Information Programme is supported by the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) to disseminate information, without advocacy or bias, on the causes, effects of and controls on air pollution and climate change, within the framework of national legislation and international discussion"
Science Photo Library - claims to be "the world's leading provider of science photos covering all aspects of science, health & medicine, space exploration & astronomy, technology & industry, earth science, satellite imagery, and nature & wildlife"
Scientific and Technical Acronyms, Symbols, and Abbreviations  - courtesy of Wiley Interscience
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