Library Instruction: Give Student Research a Boost

Last year, the library delivered 260 instruction sessions, tours, and workshops. Here’s what some faculty had to say about them:

“Students are surprised to learn how the databases improve their access to information, and this is revealed in the quality of the bibliographies they turn in.”

“Students have taken much more time and care in their research and have made better use of integrating it into their papers as a result.”

“Students have told me that they are no longer feeling intimidated about contacting a librarian for help.”

As you plan your syllabus, consider including library instruction if you require your students to do research. Library instruction covers such concepts as:

  • evaluating online information
  • developing search strategies
  • attributing sources
  • and other research- and information-related skills.

Traditionally, faculty have brought students to the library for a class period when they are beginning their research. This is just one way librarians can collaborate with faculty to help students become better researchers and users of information. Just let us know how you’d like to join forces to help your students become more information literate, by contacting Liz Galoozis, Coordinator of User Education.

To schedule a research instruction session, use our Library Instruction Request form, which now includes the option to upload an assignment and/or syllabus. (For details and policies, click on “Schedule a Research Instruction Session” on the library’s home page.)

And to learn more about library instruction and information literacy in general, visit our Information Literacy and Instruction research guide.

Reference Librarians: Your Secret Weapon

Are you working on a research paper or project? As the end of the semester looms, there’s a good chance you are. And if you want to get your work done faster and better, we have a suggestion for you: use the services of a reference librarian.  You don’t have to take our word for it – The Washington Post’s “Campus Overload” blog recently published an article on the reasons a reference librarian should be your best friend during finals season. A few of the reasons? Reference librarians are “Google experts”and “have access to information you didn’t know existed.”

To get the whole story, read the article on the Post‘s website. And visit the library’s Research Help page to see when and how the reference staff is available to help you with research.

Database of the Month: MLA International Bibliography

Of all the databases the Bentley Library subscribes to, MLA International Bibliography is the most comprehensive when it comes to literature and related fields. Its over 2 million records provide citation information and abstracts for research in areas such as:

  • rhetoric and composition
  • teaching of literature
  • teaching of language
  • folklore
  • history of publishing
  • literary theory and criticism
  • dramatic arts (including television, film, radio, and theater)

Its records include articles, books, book chapters, dissertation abstracts, and even websites (more on that later). While mostly in English, MLA also includes research from other countries in over 70 other languages, and provides coverage back to 1923.

The CSA search platform offers a powerful advanced search; zero in on exactly what you need by searching several different fields, including:  scholarly approach, literary genre, time period, influence, and literary theme (e.g., subjects like “gender conflict” or geographic places). MLA allows you to distinguish between the author of an article, and the author about which an article is written; the same applies to language (e.g., an article written about Spanish, in English).

Another very useful feature of MLA International Bibliography is its inclusion of websites. Websites go through the same rigorous selection process as all the other resources in the database, so it’s easy to generate a list of reliable websites on a particular topic. When searching, scroll all the way down and check off the box “websites only.” Here’s an example of a “websites only” search for the words “Harlem Renaissance.”

While MLA International Bibliography serves mainly as an index, it’s easy to discover if Bentley has access to a resource by clicking “Check for Journal in another Bentley database.” It also links easily to Interlibrary Loan and exports to Refworks. You can also create a desktop shortcut (look at the bottom of the search screen) to search MLA International Bibliography directly from your desktop.

Further information about this database may be found on MLA’s website: http://www.mla.org/bibliography

Connect to this database:

Please visit MLA International Bibliography to explore this valuable database further – on the CSA landing page, click “Specific Databases,” and make sure that only the box next to “MLA International Bibliography” is checked. Visit our Databases page to view a complete list of our resources.

——————————–
Database of the Month provides a very brief introduction to an important research database, highlighting key features of the database that you should know about. If you would like more information about this database (or any of the library’s databases) please contact the Reference Desk.  If you would like a demonstration of this database for a class, please contact our Coordinator of User Education, Elizabeth Galoozis.

The Inside Scoop from Our Jeopardy Champion

If you’ve been following this blog, you know that Reference Librarian Elizabeth Galoozis has been appearing on Jeopardy! since last Wednesday. Her winning streak came to an end in Monday night’s episode, leaving her with a grand total of $40,801 in winnings. Below, Liz gives us the inside scoop on her experience.

Many thanks to everyone at Bentley who watched me on Jeopardy. It was great to feel so supported by the Bentley community – and to receive all of your good wishes! A narrative of my experience as a contestant can be found later this week on the official Jeopardy website’s Winner’s Blog.

One question I got asked a lot after the first episode was: How did you know the answer to Final Jeopardy? (The question and answer are below.)

ANSWER: Surprisingly, this word appears only twice in the New Testament, once in Acts and once in the first epistle of Peter.

QUESTION: What is Christian?

As part of my cramming for the show, I read a book from our collection called A Non-Churchgoer’s Guide to the Bible, and that little piece of trivia happened to be right there in the book. I also made very helpful flash cards from The New York Public Library Desk Reference, which is shelved in our reference stacks. Thank you, Bentley Library!

Recaps of the questions and answers from all three of my Jeopardy episodes can be found at the website J! Archive.

Congratulations on your success, Liz!

October is National Information Literacy Awareness Month

President Obama has declared October 2009 to be National Information Literacy Awareness Month. His official proclamation states:

“An informed and educated citizenry is essential to the functioning of our modern democratic society, and I encourage educational and community institutions across the country to help Americans find and evaluate the information they seek, in all its forms.”

Want to talk to an expert on finding and evaluating information? Contact a reference librarian! We can help you, as the president puts it, “separate truth from fiction and signal from noise.” Faculty, use this form if you’d like to request a research instruction session for your class.

For more information, check out our online research guide on Information Literacy and Instruction, or  the website of the National Forum on Information Literacy.