Tutorial of Online Databases

1. Tutorial of Online Databases Gates Memorial Library

2. When seeking information at the Gates Memorial Library, there are three ways of starting a search: LSCPA Card Catalog eBook Collection-NetLibrary Subscription Databases

3. How to search for materials that are located in the Gates Library The online LSCPA Card Catalog

4. By starting at the LSCPA homepage, the online catalog is available through a drop-down menu that includes Online Databases. The user then clicks on the blue link for the LSCPA Card Catalog.

5. There are three types of searches available in the Gates online catalog: BrowseSearch, Simple Search, and Power Search. Users need to be aware of their basic differences: Browse Search: allows the user to search records by title, subject, or author’s name. A single drop-down menu under Look for provides other options. Simple Search: allows keyword searching. Of all three types, this one allows for the broadest possible search. However, a Show search options link provides ways of limiting searches. Power Search: Simply put, this type is a combination of a Browse Search and a Simple Search and can provide for the most limited searches.

6. The homepage of the catalog looks like this. The Search tab in the navigation bar at the top has an embedded drop-down menu, listing the three types of searches available—Browse, Simple, and Power. The default search mode is the Browse Search.

7. This is a Browse Search. Under the phrase Look for, a drop-down menu limits a search by Subject, Title, etc. Next, the user types a word (or phrase) into the spacebar to the right. In this example, the user is going to search for all records in the catalog in which the word Hurricane is the subject. Finally, the user clicks on the orange Go box.

8. Here, the user wants to take a look at the two records available for the subject heading Hurricane Camille, 1969. (Hits refers to the number of records.) To see other pages dealing with hurricanes, click on the third red arrow above the word Hits.

9. This is the page that the user sees after clicking on the orange Find button. Each record contains basic bibliographic information, such as title (highlighted in blue), author’s name, and call number.. Please note: author names are listed last name first, and Availability lets the user know whether or not an item is on the shelf. To begin a new search, the user must click on the black Start button near the top.

10. This is how the page will appear for a Simple Search. By scrolling down the page, the user can read more about performing simple searches. Here, the user wants to search for records containing the keywords poets and england. The next step is to click Go.

11. The original search produces 22 results (Unique Hits). By clicking on the blue Show search options link below the search bar, the user can possibly narrow the number of records retrieved. The next screen shows how to do this.

12. There are various ways to limit search results. In this example, the user has entered the years 2000 and 2010 into the space bars below Publication Year. In so doing, the catalog will retrieve the records of just those items published between 2000 and 2010, thereby limiting the search results. The user then clicks on the orange Go button.

13. Now, the user can work with a smaller set of records--seven, to be exact. All of the records represent books that are in the Gates collection. By looking at Availability in each record, the user can determine whether or not a particular item can be checked out. After clicking on the Start button once more, the user can perform a new search.

14. Now, the user wants to perform a Power Search. This page appears after the user clicks on the Show search options link below the search bars.

15. Here, the user is going to perform a highly limited search by entering the following criteria: witchcraft as a Subject, salem as a Subject, and 2004 as the Year (of publication). Finally, the user limits the search by selecting DVD in the Media drop-down menu near the bottom of the page. The orange Go button is then pressed.

16. Unsurprisingly, the catalog retrieves just one record. This particular record is for a DVD of the motion picture The Crucible. However, it has been checked out. Not to worry…the user can place a hold on this item by one of two ways: by clicking on the Hold Request Form link in the middle of the blue left-hand column, or by asking at the circulation desk in the library.

17. In case an item is not on the shelf, the eBook Collection-NetLibrary is certainly an option.

18. In the event that a user wanted to go beyond the scope of the LSCPA Card Catalog, the library’s eBook collection would certainly be an option.

19. By default, the Basic Search appears once the eBook collection option has been selected. However, an Advanced Search is also available. Either way, a drop-down menu to the left allows the user to search by Keyword, by Title, etc. The next screen shows the records retrieved for a keyword search of vampires.

20. The first record that appears is the eBook Dracula. A summary of the book appears, but the user can view the entire book online by clicking on the blue link View this eBook located below the summary.

21. Upon clicking the View link, a Table of Contents of the eBook appears at the left. The user can easily scroll down a list of chapters. In the main screen to the right, the user can view any selected chapter, with the page number in red in the top right-hand corner. At the top of the screen, pages can easily be changed by using the Previous and Next buttons or by typing the number in the space next to Page.

22. Question: in the quest for information, what does the user need? Does the user need a book or a video?or… Does the user need something online, like an article or an image?

23. This time, let’s say that the user wants to find online articles through the Gates Memorial Library…How? Subscription Databases

24. Below the link to the LSCPA Card Catalog is a list of database links. By clicking on any one topic (underlined in blue), the user can find a synopsis for each database.

25. If the user clicks on Academic Search Complete, this is the page that appears. In the toolbar located in the top right-hand corner, a Help button provides access to a tutorial for all EBSCOhost databases, including Academic Search Complete.

26. The user would click on the EBSCOhost Tutorials link in the left-hand column. Each tutorial is a how-to video about a certain function, like basic and advanced searches, visual searches, and reading an article.

27. If the user clicks on the Dictionary of Literary Biography, this is the page that appears. In the toolbar located on the left-hand side, a Help button provides access to a helpful tutorial.

28. The user can select any one of the links in the above list to find out how to perform certain searches.

29. This is how the homepage for Literature Online appears. In the upper right-hand corner, there is a Help button that provides access to a helpful tutorial.

30. After clicking on Help, another window appears. This window contains links to various search functions.

31. SIRS, which stands for Social Issues Resources Series, is a database of information pertaining to various social, scientific, health, historic, economic, political, and global issues. The Help link at the top of the page can provide more details on how to search.

32. In addition, a two-minute online video serves as a tutorial for the SIRS database. To find this tutorial, the user must first go to the following web address: http://www.proquestk12.com/videotraining.shtml. Then, the user would have to click on the arrows next to SIRS Issues Researcher, shown in the above example.

33. A. Performing searches Using Academic Search Complete as an example, one can search for a full-text article by using the Cited References tool at the top of the screen.

34. Above is a shot of the screen that appears once the user selects Cited References. Within the appropriate search fields, the user types the information that is provided in the second bibliographic citation. Kuh is the author’s last name, the article appears in the journal Change, and the publication year is 2001.

35. Record number 12 is the one that the user needs. In order to view a full-text copy of this article, the user must select either the HTML Full Text option or PDF Full Text.

36. B. Citation examples Whenever the user locates relevant information, such as an article, some of the online databases will show how to properly create a citation. MLA and Chicago/Turabian are common citation formats used. If the user wanted to see how to cite the Kuh article, for instance, the title (in blue) would have to be clicked.

37. By then clicking on the Cite tool on the right-hand side of the screen, the user can see various citation formats,

38. Above is an article located in the SIRS (Social Issues Resources Series) database. To the right is a Citation link, which allows the user to see how to cite this particular article in the MLA format.

39. Another tool that might be useful is the Audio MP3 link (below Citation). Various databases are equipped with this tool, which allows the user to listen to an article being read.

40. Finally, a number of links near the top allow the user to share this article with other researchers. For example, one can share the article through email, print, Facebook, Twitter, or MySpace, just to name a few.

41. In searching for information in the Gates Memorial Library, there are three main databases available: LSCPA Card Catalog eBook Collection-NetLibrary Subscription Databases

42. The subscription databases, especially, might prove useful during the course of the semester. Although this tutorial highlights key features which exist, there are many other applications to explore. This depends on the database being used and the needs of the user. In case the library staff can be of further assistance, please call at (409) 984-6220 or 984-6224.