Modern Languages and Cultures Postgraduate Library workshop

Suzie Kitchin & Christine Purcell

November 2008

Aims of the session

To help you to: • Construct effective search strategies • Identify and find relevant research material • Know where to go for help • Accessing other libraries

Library basics

• http://www.dur.ac.uk/library/using • University Library - 4 libraries • Opening hours • Loan entitlements • Durham University email • Contacts and help

Planning your search

• What information are you looking for?

• Scope of your search (historical, contemporary, linguistic) • Advanced search option / help • http://www.dur.ac.uk/library/using/finding/ • Modern Languages subject pages http://www.dur.ac.uk/library/modern_euro/

Effective searching

• Synonyms • Truncation – eg cultur* (culture, cultures, cultural) – Beware of false hits, eg. cult • Wildcards – e.g. behavio*r, organi*ation • Boolean operators: AND, OR & AND NOT – e.g. (race OR national identity) AND France

AND

Boolean operators

OR

France

AND

(national identity)

NOT

France

OR

(national identity) France

AND NOT

(national identity)

Library catalogue

• How to search – Author / title – Keyword and advanced searching – Marking / emailing records – Journals (print and online) • Your library record • Document Delivery Service

Databases

• Bibliographic databases, eg. – MLA Bibliography – International Medieval Bibliography – Web of Knowledge • News monitoring services & archives – National newspapers via

Infotrac Nexis Executive

and

Lexis-

– Times Digital Archive 1785-1985

Current Awareness

• Library catalogue – Reading history – Keyword searches – New books • Alerting services http://www.dur.ac.uk/library/using/finding/curaware/ • Theses and Dissertations http://www.dur.ac.uk/library/modern_euro/theses/

Wider access

• Off-campus access to e-resources • Using other libraries – SCONUL Access scheme – http://www.dur.ac.uk/library/otherlibraries/ • Document Delivery Service http://www.dur.ac.uk/library/using/borrowing/dds/

Web resources

• Subject gateways http://www.dur.ac.uk/library/modern_euro/gateways/ – Internet Medieval Sourcebook – Intute for Modern Languages – Google Scholar • Evaluation http://www.dur.ac.uk/library/using/finding/web/

Where to get help

• Main Library - Enquiries Desk Level 2 • On-line enquiries service: http://www.dur.ac.uk/library/using/enquiries / • Academic Support Team: Suzie Kitchin [email protected]

Christine Purcell [email protected]

Thank you for listening Any questions?

Feedback

• Please complete our short evaluation form before logging off your PC: http://www.survey.bris.ac.uk/durham/modlang08 Accessed from Modern Languages information skills pages http://www.dur.ac.uk/library/modern_euro/info_skills/