Because we love you.

Posted on February 29, 2012 by EP

Yep, we love you. You, the readers of this blog, the people who populate the UGL 24 hours, five days a week, and until 2am on Fridays and Saturdays. The group meeting holders, the laptop check-outers, the reference desk question-askers. All of y’all.

But here’s the thing: we want to hear from you! Because we can change things, you know? We just need to know what you think, the changes you want to see, or even what you think we’re doing well. And we’ll all enjoy our time spent in this crazy place called the UGL even more.

Last December, this really awesome thing happened where one of you – namely a now-graduated Lihy Epstein* – wrote an homage of sorts to the UGL, a place she spent many-an-hour over the course of her time at U of I. She, and we, encourage all of you to keep up the spirit of her gesture by letting us know what we’re doing that you like and don’t like. Here’s Lihy’s list of top 11 reasons she loves the UGL, just to get your mind grapes juicin’:

“1. Suggestions for renting technology equipment more suitable for my needs (that I hadn’t known was available).

2. Polite taps on the shoulder when my phone alarm was blaring during my 4-5am naps.

3. Assistance navigating the infinite databases in search of obscure information, which at times was found best through a simple Google search.

4. Assistance with the Dewey Decimal system.

5. All the remodeling that made this place better.

6. Making the library safer by restricting entry and re-entry to students and faculty between midnight and 6 am.

7. April Fool’s humor that made me realize how gullible I was (charging for staples and paper clips).

8. Frequent reminders not to leave my laptop and other valuables under the guise of someone random.

9. Permitting me to bring in the remainder of my pizza that I promised not to eat within the library.

10. Not kicking me out when you saw me sneak a bite.

11. Most importantly, friendly conversations at the wee hours of the morning when we all would rather be sleeping.”

(Awww, shucks…thanks for the compliments…we’re blushing!)

You might not write us a letter like this (although you could!), and you might not even visit us in person, but there are a lot of ways to send us suggestions and comments:

The Suggestion Box: It lives next to the circulation desk on the upper level. It is a box covered in stickers where you can toss in your suggestions about the UGL’s space and resources. We read them all, and we post some of them on the Suggestion Board which lives just above the box. Quite a pair, those two.

The Humans: The people who work here are all happy to listen to any suggestions or ideas that you have, at any old time of the day (we’re here, like, all the time)! We will happily pass your ideas and issues along to a supervisor who will work on them. Teamwork is our middle name!

This Here Blog (and our other social media ventures!): Comments are enabled and welcome. You can comment on any post or even ask us questions. PLUS: subscribe to our RSS and share posts on Facebook, Reddit, and more. We’re also @askundergrad on Twitter, and will respond to questions or comments you send our way there (just mention or direct message us – give us a few hours cuz we’re not always there!). Friend or like us on Facebook and share your comments that way, too.

* Thanks, Lihy, for letting us post this! You’re famous!

Got Research Problems? Come to Office Hours!

Posted on February 25, 2012 by BD

It’s getting to be midterms time, which means you’re probably feeling pretty busy these days. Maybe you’re working on a research paper, but you still haven’t found enough sources to support your thesis. Or maybe you’re searching for articles in one of the library’s databases, but your searches are coming up short. Regardless of your research problem, we can help. While you can always talk to a librarian at the UGL’s research desk or online via Ask a Librarian, if you think you need a more in-depth research consultation, visit us at Office Hours!

Image of pole-vaulting student saying "Vault on over to the UGL librarians for expert research assistance." Office Hours is a drop-in service created with the busy student in mind. At each Office Hours session, you will have the opportunity to get one-on-one research help from one of the UGL’s expert researchers (librarians and graduate assistants). And, during Office Hours at the UGL on Mondays, you can also meet with someone from the Writer’s Workshop to get quick answers to writing questions.

So, drop on by to get help developing a research topic, finding credible information, creating a bibliography, or solving any research/writing problems you might have.

Office Hours Spring Schedule*

February 20th – April 24th

Mondays, 2-4PM, Room 291, Undergraduate Library

Tuesdays, 7-9PM, Ikenberry Commons (aka “the Ike”), Room 1010, First Floor Learning Commons

*Librarian’s Office Hours are also available for student athletes on Wednesday evenings from 7-9 in the Irwin Academic Center, March 14 – April 25.

Who wouldn’t want to meet with these research Olympians?

Peer (-Reviewed) Pressure! Pt. 2

Posted on February 23, 2012 by EP

Since you read part one of this post last week (right?), you know how to get to the UGL’s list of recommended databases so that you can begin searching for articles on your research topic.

This week, we want to give you a little insight into how to tell if an article is actually peer-reviewed. Not all articles available through library databases are peer-reviewed, scholarly articles, so it is important to look carefully at the articles you find to determine if they meet the requirements for your research. Databases include articles from popular periodicals (like Time magazine), scholarly journals, and trade periodicals (like Parks & Recreation – not the TV show!). This graphic gives you an idea of what library databases include:

The graph outlines that both scholarly and non-scholarly content is available, as well as popular and trade materials.

Note the giant star on the scholarly articles!

In many databases, you can actually limit your search so that you just retrieve articles from scholarly journals:

in EBSCO databases, search limiters are on the left-hand side of the screen.

Check the box “Scholarly (Peer-Reviewed) Journals” to limit to articles from scholarly journals in an EBSCO database. Click “Update” to apply the limit.

This limit is not foolproof! Why? Because not all works published in scholarly journals are actually “peer-reviewed articles.” Here’s the reason: scholarly journals also publish things like book reviews, editorials, and news releases. These are NOT what your professors mean when they say “peer-reviewed articles.” The scholarly articles your professor wants you to use present original research, usually in a longer format, often including graphics such as charts and tables, and always including citations for all material presented.

SO: even if you limit your search to just find articles from peer-reviewed journals, you still need to examine the article citation, abstract, and even some of the full text, to determine if it’s actually a scholarly, peer-reviewed article. Answer questions such as these for every resource you want to use: Are the authors’ credentials included? Do they cite sources? Are their conclusions based on evidence (and do they provide this evidence)?

The UGL has also created several web pages to assist you with evaluating sources!

Is it scholarly? Tips for critically evaluating your information resources: This page gives you criteria you can use to analyze the sources you find. Use the criteria found on this page when trying to determine whether or not an article you find is actually a peer-reviewed article and not simply a news release or editorial found in a scholarly journal.

Is it scholarly? Distinguishing periodical types: Here you will find criteria on how to tell the difference between scholarly articles and those from trade periodicals (written for and by people in a particular profession) and popular periodicals (such as People and GQ).

Remember: you may find articles from all types of periodicals (magazines, newspapers, journals) when you search in a database. It is important to evaluate what you see so you know if it works for your assignment!

Checkout Yourself!

Posted on February 19, 2012 by BD

Have you seen the new self-checkout machine in the UGL?

Hello, I’m the cool new self checkout machine!

Located on the lower-level behind the regular checkout station, the self check unit allows you to check out books by yourself. So, if you’re in a hurry to check out books and there’s a line at the desk, or if you simply don’t want to interact with another human being, the self check unit is here to help.

It’s easy to use! Here’s how:

1) Follow the instructions on the touch screen (shown above).

2) Scan your ICard. You’ll hear a sound that lets you know it has scanned.

3) Place your book on the metal tray and run the barcode under the scanner.

Make sure the book is laying flat against the scanner base.

Slide the barcode under the scanner

4) A chime will sound when the item has been checked out to you.

5) Click “done” on the screen when you’re finished.

NOTES TO SELF CHECK-OUTERS:

**Only scan one book at a time!

**Self checkout is currently only available for checking out books. If you need to check out movies or games, please visit the regular checkout desks, where our staff can assist you.

Follow these easy steps, and you’re on your way to independently checking out books. Of course, if you do happen to run into problems, a friendly student worker is but a few feet away, ready to answer any questions you might have.

Peer (-Reviewed) Pressure! Pt. 1

Posted on February 16, 2012 by EP

You know this has happened to you more than once (or, if it hasn’t, you can bet that it’s coming): your professor gives you an assignment that involves finding peer-reviewed articles. Upon hearing those words you catch your breath, sink a little lower in your seat, and open your calendar to block off Saturday and Sunday with the words: “@ the LIBRARY :(“.

Fear not! Finding scholarly, peer-reviewed articles as part of your research process is actually not quite as dreadful as it might sound. At the UGL, we have created several resources to make your research process a lot easier. Last week, we featured our Subject Guides, research guides created around specific topics, and this week we want to introduce some of the basics on where to go to find peer-reviewed articles.

First: what does “peer-reviewed” mean? We often use the terms “peer-reviewed” and “scholarly” interchangeably. Peer-reviewed articles are (typically) long, research articles published in scholarly journals. They are called peer-reviewed because when they are submitted for publication, a committee of experts in the author’s field reviews the research to determine if it is worthy of publication. The information in scholarly, peer-reviewed articles is authoritative and credible–that review process helps to make sure of it.

Make sense? OK, on to finding them. Scholarly articles come from scholarly research journals, which are easily accessible from library databases. The best place to start when looking for peer-reviewed articles from databases in most disciplines (in our humble opinion) is the UGL’s Find Articles Guide.

To get there, go the UGL’s home page and look for the ‘Find Articles’ button underneath the Easy Search box (see image above). Click on it – you want to ‘find articles,’ right?

There are also links to the catalog and course reserves.

Then you’ll arrive at the following page:

screenshot of find articles guide

Our Find Articles Guide is organized by subject area. We give you a basic list of the central databases in each field as a general starting point for most research.

Library databases come in many forms: some are general, like Academic Search Premier and Academic OneFile, which means that they include all kinds of research in all kinds of fields, from sources ranging from scholarly journals to popular magazines. These general databases are great starting points (see above!) for research on any topic.

Other databases are more subject-specific. That is why our Find Articles page is organized by discipline or subject area. Sometimes, it’s obvious which subject area to look under to find the appropriate research: if you’re searching for peer-reviewed articles for a business class, you’d probably want to turn to the databases listed under the Business heading.

Sometimes, though, it’s a little less clear. Some research topics are inter-disciplinary. For example: say you’re doing research for a communications class that involves talking about health and wellness issues. You will probably need to look for articles in databases from both the Communication and Medicine and Health disciplines–both of which are listed on the Find Articles page.

While all of these databases–except for CQ Researcher and those listed under the “Newspapers” heading–include peer-reviewed articles, that is not all they offer. You need to do some legwork to determine if the articles you find are peer-reviewed.

Be sure to check out Peer (-Reviewed) Pressure Part Two next week to learn more about how to determine if an article in a database is actually a scholarly, peer-reviewed article.

As always feel free to leave a comment or question! Or Ask-a-Librarian.

Get to know UGL Subject Guides – Research Made Easier!

Posted on February 10, 2012 by BD

Have you ever been asked to write a paper on an issue of your choosing and had no idea what to choose? Or maybe you’ve been assigned topic for a paper, but you didn’t know where to begin your research?

You’re not alone! Finding credible information (for your academic AND personal research pursuits) is not always easy. That’s why our libraries here at the University of Illinois create subject guides – online research guides on a range of different topics that direct you to relevant, credible resources both online and in the library.

The Undergraduate Library continues to build its list of subject guides on an ongoing basis. Based on our interactions with undergraduate students, we identify popular research areas and create guides on those topics so students can find information more easily. Topics our guides cover range from identity theft to same sex marriage to the hpv vaccine and cervical cancer. Students who use them seem to love them, and we want to be sure YOU know how to use them and where to find them! So here’s the 411 on subject guides.

What are subject guides?

Subject guides (sometimes referred to as “research guides” or “LibGuides”) are online research guides on specific topics or subject areas that help direct you to credible resources you can access online and in the library.

How do I find subject guides?

Here’s a list of all the Undergraduate Library’s subject guides. Don’t see what you’re looking for? Check out the entire collection of research guides prepared by University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign libraries. Still not finding what you need? Send us an email or comment on this blog post to let us know about a subject area or topic you’d like for us to create a guide on.

How do I use subject guides?

Good question. Subject guides are not designed to do the research for you, they’re designed to help you find credible research articles, books, websites and other resources more easily. Let’s walk through the different tabs of an Undergraduate Library subject guide:

Navigational tabs help you find specific kinds of relevant resources quickly.

Overview

By clicking on this tab, you’ll find brief summary in the center of the page under “topic overview” explaining what the topic entails.

Background

Did your professor ask you to steer clear of Wikipedia? The “suggested reference sources” listed under the “background” tab of the subject guides provides a list of credible reference sources –many of which are accessible online — to help give you a better understanding of your topic.

Statistical Info

Finding statistics can be tricky. In this section, we’ve compiled a list of resources you can turn to to find statistics on your topic. Still, you might have trouble finding the exact statistic you want, and you may need help thinking about what kinds of statistics related to your topic exist. If you’re having trouble, as always…feel free to ask a Librarian!

Finding Articles

The library subscribes to hundreds of databases that provide you with access to articles from academic journals, newspapers, magazines, and more. How do you decide which database to choose? The “Finding Articles” tab on our subject guides helps direct you to databases that are relevant to your topic. What’s more, when you click the “finding articles” tab in a subject guide, you’ll also see a list of suggested keywords (along the left-hand side of the screen) that you can use when searching the databases on that topic.

Finding Books

Sometimes you need more in depth information on a topic, and books can be a good place to turn. Under the “finding books” tab, you’ll find links to the library catalog, along with recommended keywords for searching the catalog on your topic.

Internet Sites

The “internet sites” tab provides a list of recommended websites you can turn to to learn more about your topic.

Organization Websites

Under this tab, you’ll find links to different organizational websites that provide further information related to your topic. Often, the resources listed in the “organization websites” are government or other non-profit organizations that are directly involved in responding to or coordinating efforts related to the specific subject guide topic.

That’s a basic overview of subject guides at the UGL. Let us know if you have any questions, or would like to see subject guides on different topics!

The Edge of Glory

Posted on February 9, 2012 by EP

Every few months, the UGL publishes a web newsletter called the Undergrad Edge and we want you to know about it!

Highlights of this month’s issue include…

– New digital signage: If you’re a frequent UGL-er you may have noticed these shiny new flatscreen TVs we’re mounting on the ceiling where our old-fashioned brown signs used to be. These will point you to everything you need to find in the library, plus run some awesome slides with events, hours, and new items in our collection.

– New self-checkout stations: Yes, you now have the power to check out books without the assistance of a student assistant (although you still have that option, of course). You’ll find the self-checkout station on the lower level, right by the doors.

Thanks for listening! Hit us up with comments.

As always: Got questions? Ask a Librarian.

We Exist to Assist.

Posted on February 2, 2012 by EP

Ever wondered what we do at the UGL? I mean, you walk past some people at the desks at the front who seem to be up to something, but what is it? Well, this week we want to tell you a bit about what we do at the research desk. (Stay tuned for the upcoming post: The Circulation Desk: Where the Magic Happens!)

The research desk at the UGL, just inside the main doors.

Presenting: the who, what, when, where and why (but not in that order) of the research desk!

WHERE is the research desk?

We’re on the upper level (i.e. main floor, where the Espresso Royale is, with the sandwiches and the coffee) of the UGL, on your right as you enter the doors.

WHO works at the research desk?

The research desk is staffed by librarians and graduate assistants, aka GAs .The librarians are these awesome humans who have a huge wealth of knowledge and are more than willing to share it. The graduate assistants are a lot like the librarians, but usually younger, and they (we, actually, the writers of this blog are GAs) are in school here at UIUC getting their masters degrees in library and information science.

Okay, they sound cool enough, but WHAT do these people really do, though?

The librarians and GAs at the research desk are here to answer your every question about the library. We have skills and we love to use them to help you. Looking for a fun movie to watch this weekend? Ask at the research desk and we will show you how to look it up in the catalog, and how to understand what you see there so you can get your movie easily and quickly, and be on your way to a wonderful weekend. On the other end of the library spectrum, we also assist you with research. Need to find scholarly articles on the effects of video game violence on children? We will help you figure out where to look to find that information, how to search for it, and how to understand which sources are best for you. Basically, we want you to have mad skills.

WHY would you want that?

Well, it’s a wild, wild world out there, and we want you to be successful in navigating it. Basically, we know how hard it can be to find information when faced with all that the library offers. You may not even know what the library has (sometimes, we don’t either, but that’s part of the thrill of the chase). We want you to be able to use all the great resources that UIUC offers for you. These resources are for YOU and to USE, and we are here to help you do so. Cool, huh?

Yeah! That does sound kind of awesome, now that you put it that way. WHEN can I start using the research desk?

When you have a question! Ask us! But we’re not always here, even though we like to give that illusion. The UGL’s research desk is open from 11-9pm Monday through Friday, and Sunday. On Saturdays, everyone’s favorite day for coming to the library, there is a GA hanging out at the circulation desk (see next week’s post for more info) who can not only check out a laptop to you, but can also do all the cool research help stuff at the same time. You can also chat with a librarian via instant message, if that suits your needs better. That service is staffed by librarians and GAs from all over the UIUC library system (there are over 20 libraries on campus!).

So, there you have it, the long and short of the research desk. Next time you fly past us on your way to a serious study session, armed with your large iced no whip mocha with an extra shot, glance over and smile knowingly. You’ve got this.

Undergraduate Library Blog

Information and Updates on Getting the Most out of the UGL

Monthly Archives: February 2012