Start your research right with Subject Guides

Now that we’re back, relaxed and refreshed, from Fall Break, it’s time to buckle down and get to work on final papers and projects. If you’ve got some serious researching to do, the UGL has the perfect place to start: our collection of Subject Research Guides.

Image of the home tab of a research guide on the topic adoption

Sample Subject Research Guide on Adoption

Getting started with research can be a tricky task. With hundreds of databases and millions of books at your fingertips, it can be hard to know where to begin. To make it easier for you, the UGL has a collection of subject research guides you can use to know where and how to look for information you need.

A subject research guide contains resources for finding information related to a specific topic. Each guide contains links for background information and databases, as well as suggestions for keywords to help you search. We also throw in helpful websites and links to professional organizations. They’re a one-stop shop for getting started with research. Writing a paper about social media? We have you covered. Doing a presentation on artificial intelligence? We’ve got that too.

And just how can you find these amazing, librarian-approved sources of information? It’s so simple, you’ll wonder how you haven’t stumbled across them before. Starting from the UGL homepage, just look for the link to “Subject Guides” in the light gray bar that goes across the center of the screen. Click and boom! Research resources are just waiting for you. We have guides for over 100 topics, with new ones being made all the time.

If you don’t see your topic on our list, you can also search the complete collection of guides made by all University libraries. If you still can’t find your topic, give us a shout in the comments or on our Facebook or Twitter and let us know what you want to see. And of course, you can always stop by Office Hours @ the UGL or hit us up on chat for any research or library questions you have. Let’s show this semester who’s boss.

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UGL 101: Choosing the right projector

Got a presentation coming up and need a projector to show off your sweet slide show or video? With the UGL’s loanable technology, part of the Media Commons, we stock what you need, whether it’s something heavy duty and super-bright or tiny enough to fit in your pocket.

Optoma ML500

optomo ml 500 projector

Nothing too fancy here, just a basic, easy-to-use portable projector. It’s bright, with a wide screen and great color display, and it comes with a remote control. At under 2.5 pounds, it can be carried anywhere, and it allows you to connect to laptops, Blu-Ray players, and game systems. Don’t have any of those? You can also present directly from a USB or SD card. It’s that easy.

Optoma DW339 3-D Multimedia Projector

optomo dw 339 3-d multimedia projector

Similar to the Optoma ML500, but with a bit more spunk. The DW339 projects a larger wide-screen image, has a bit brighter display, and allows you to connect from HDMI, VGA, S-video, composite video, audio-in, audio-out, RS-232 and USB-B. Like the ML500, it also has a remote control to make it even easier for you to look like a total pro. Now we’re getting fancy.

3M MP225 Mobile Projector

3M Mobile Projector

If you need a projector on the go and aren’t concerned about it being the brightest, largest display, this is the tool for you. It’s tiny enough to carry in your own bag, and it will connect to almost anything: iPhones, iPads, computers, gaming systems, and dvd players. (Some of these may need a special cord, and you can borrow those, too.) It also will run on a battery for up to 2 hours, so there’s no need to keep it close to a power outlet if you charge it up first.

Epson MovieMate 62

Epson movie mate projector

This baby is built for media entertainment. It’s the only projector that has a built-in dvd player, and it’s amazingly bright (about 2000 lumens). It also has built-in speakers, and comes with a remote control. It’s perfect for a movie night in.

3M 2000 Portable Overhead Projector

3M overhead projector

A little different than the other projectors available, this one kicks it old school. It will display transparencies (a black print on a clear page), and is great if you have a presentation that doesn’t need any bells and whistles.

Still not sure which one of these is for you? Visit our website for more information. Or stop in and talk with a Media Commons expert about all your technology needs.

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Spotlight on…Gale Virtual Reference Library

Long gone are the days when you have to sift through a heavy encyclopedia to find background information (not to mention figuring out which one is best for your topic). Using the Gale Virtual Reference Library, you can find information about almost any topic, searching multiple resources at once, all from the comfort of your own computer.

Home page of Gale Virtual reference library with a search box at the top, subjects listed down the left column, and images of resources in the center

Gale Virtual Reference Library (GVRL) is like librarian-approved Wikipedia. It has encyclopedias and other online reference books that cover a wide variety of subject areas, all in one place, so you can do one-stop-searching. You can also select to search in a specific subject area, choosing from subjects like art, biography, history, law, science, and many more.

To get there, start from the UGL’s homepage. In the dark blue bar that goes across the top of your screen, there will be a link for “Find.” Clicking on that link will take you to a page with tips and resources for finding all types of information. To get to GVRL, you’ll need to select “Background Information,” which will take you to the Library’s Online Reference Collection. You should see GVRL listed under the heading for “Starting Points” on this page.

Once you’re in GVRL, you’ll be able to see how many resources are available in this one place. (Hint: lots). To do a simple search, all you have to do is type your keyword(s) into the search box at the top of the screen. This will search all the resources available to you in GVRL.

image of easy search box on the top of the home page

Find this box at the top of your screen. It’s your gateway to thousands of resources!

You also have the option to search in a specific subject area. All you have to do is select the subject you want from the menu on the left on the homepage. You’ll be taken to a screen that lists the resources available in that subject area. There will be a box near the right-hand corner where you can search across all the sources for your chosen subject area.

image of the history subject page, highlighting the box to search within history in the right-hand corner

Once you’ve searched for your topic, whether you did a simple search or chose a specific subject area, you’ll see a screen listing the different resources you can access. If your search found too many resources, you can narrow what you’re seeing by using the options on the left on your results screen. You can choose a subject area, a type of resource (like a biography or topic overview), or a specific encyclopedia.

image of a search results screen, highlighting the options to limit results available in the left column

Don’t need 1800 results about yoga? Narrow it down using the options on your left.

GVRL is a great place to get started if your topic is related to multiple subject areas. With hundreds of encyclopedias at your fingertips, we’ll be surprised if you can’t find what you’re looking for. If that happens, though, you can always try another resource in the Online Reference Collection, or Ask a Librarian for help. That’s why we’re here.

Need ideas for other great library resources? Find more in our Spotlight on… series here.

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A taste of fall

With the rapidly changing weather come holidays that boast sweets and treats to make your mouth water. (Not to mention the desire to snuggle under a blanket with some hot cider and something freshly baked.) If you need to impress your friends with your stellar baking skills, check out these recipes from the UGL staff guaranteed to be easy and tiny-college-kitchen-approved.

Picture of cake

This cake is crazy (good).

Even if you’re Gordon Ramsay in the kitchen, you may find yourself stymied by your tiny apartment or res hall kitchen, with no room for fancy cooking gadgets and nonexistent counter space. These college-friendly recipes are quick, easy, and tasty. And we’ve got something for everyone.

Love that it’s apple season? Try Zoe’s Apple Right Side Up Cake, or Lauren’s Apple Crisp. Need something other than apples to satisfy your sweet tooth? Jessica makes a Crazy Cake that’s crazy easy. Or consider whipping up some super Simple Shortbread Cookies, a favorite of David’s, or Holly’s Lemon Poppyseed Bread. If you’re craving sweet and salty, Susan puts bacon in her Rice Krispie Treats (and we promise you’ll love it).

microwave breakfast bars recipe

Kick start your day with Quetzalli’s Microwave Breakfast Bars

Want something a little more hearty to share at your party? Lori has served up some Congri that’ll please the crowd. Or try Madeline’s Taco Salad Dip, which never seems to last very long. Have too many chips and not enough dip? Bernita makes a mean BLT dip and Gregg loves Gert’s Egg Paste that will dress up your crackers nicely.

snack wraps recipe

Pam’s Snack Wraps will have you looking like a pro.

If none of these get you drooling (Are you sure?), check out our Fall Recipes Pinterest board to really stretch your cooking and baking muscles. We’ve also recommended cookbooks that you can find in UIUC libraries. And while you’re there, explore our other boards, especially the one pointing you to even more cookbooks to suit every diet and palate.

You can find all the recipes below if you don’t want to go to Pinterest…but we have lots of cool stuff on our Pinterest, so maybe you should. Just a suggestion.

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Spotlight on…Pop Culture Universe

Can you believe we’re already six weeks into the semester? It’s almost time for midterms, and with those come papers and projects that require research. You know the UGL is here for all your research needs. And if you need research pop culture, we’ve got just the thing for you: Pop Culture Universe.

Many different aspects and eras of pop culture are covered.

More than you ever wanted to know about Madonna (and other pop culture icons!)

Pop Culture Universe is a database containing articles about fads and trends in pop culture throughout history. Starting largely with the 1900s, it allows you to find articles and resources in a variety of ways. To get to Pop Culture Universe, start at the UGL homepage, and click on that handy “Find Articles” link under the Easy Search box. Once you’re on our Find Articles guide, you’ll find Pop Culture Universe under “Starting Points,” with other general subject databases recommended for your research.

You can get started searching using the Quick Search function, located in the top right corner of the database’s homepage. Just type in your keyword or phrase, click the search icon, and you’re well on your way delving into the depths of popular culture.

The database also has ways you can browse for information. One of those is to see major trends by decade. You can see a basic introduction of each decade from the 1900s to the 2000s, as well as articles that highlight popular movements, like baseball in the 1920s or MTV in the 1980s.

Each decade has a dedicated section.

Find quick, easy resources to learn about the Roaring 20s or the dotcom era.

Another way to find information in Pop Culture Universe is to use the “Idea Exchange” where the database poses a question, and offers articles featuring divergent opinions and responses. This is great for understanding how pop culture fits into the larger context of history.

Articles are presented as possible resources for answering common questions.

See multiple perspectives on a topic, all in one convenient place.

One final way Pop Culture Universe makes it way too easy to expand your knowledge is to use their Advanced Search option, which allows you input multiple pieces of information in one search. Selecting the Advance Search option lets you input keywords, select a decade, and narrow to a particular topic area, all at the same time. For example, a search for “grunge” in the decade of the 1990s, and the topic area of “fashion” nets article relating to how grunge music influenced fashions in the 90s.

See? We want to make it easy for you to find everything you need. If you have problems using Pop Culture Universe (or any library resource!) come visit us during Office Hours @ the UGL or chat us up online. We’re waiting.

Find other posts in the Spotlight On… series here.

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Be a game changer: register to vote

It may not be a major election year, but if you’re new to Champaign County, or have never registered to vote, consider stopping by the UGL this week where the Champaign County Clerk’s office will be set up all week from 2 PM-8 PM, answering your voting questions and helping you register.

If you’ve just moved to Champaign or Urbana, you should consider registering to vote. While there may not be a presidential bid on the line, you can still make your voice heard in local elections. Registering is quick and simple, as long as you have a few necessary things: your driver’s license as well as basic information: address, phone number, previous voting address, and any prior name(s). Look for the table set up next to our research desk (that little cafe table on the first floor where you can find the friendly librarians in the vests).

If you don’t want to register in Champaign County–maybe there’s something big happening back home–you can stop in anyway and find out information about absentee voting. They can also answer general questions about voting like requirements to register, what to do if your address has changed since you last registered, and elections coming up in the next year. More information is also available on the County Clerk’s website.

If you miss the registration drive at the UGL, don’t worry! We’ve still got you covered. Set up in the lobby of the lower level (next to the soda machine) is a computer where you can register to vote any time. Get involved in creating change in the world. Start by registering to vote.

Friendly voting computer

Register to vote at the drive this week, or use our convenient registration station!

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Old school gaming

If you’ve visited the Gaming Center of the UGL since returning for the fall semester, you may have noticed a new display and some new decor. (And if you haven’t, you should drop by and check it out, along with all the other summer updates). You may already be aware that the UGL has a pretty extensive collection of games and equipment you can check out and take home or play in the library. But you may not know that we also have a large collection of vintage games and consoles, from Atari to Sega.

Mario was originally meant to be a carpenter, not a plumber. Now, before you get too excited, you can’t actually check out any of the vintage consoles or games. Some of them are simply too old or fragile, and too much use could cause them to degrade and become unusable. It’s important for us that the games kept in the best condition possible, as not many libraries have these types of collections. Faculty and researchers doing research into vintage games are able to examine and use the games and consoles, though they will not be available for general use. Don’t worry, though, we’ve got the inside scoop on the collection and you can reminisce with us about those long-lost childhood days. The collection includes games for the Atari, Nintendo, SNES, Sega Genesis, and many more. (Mario! Zelda! Sonic! Donkey Kong! We’ve got them all.) In order to preserve these games for as long as possible, the UGL staff has been hard at work this summer archiving the games and transferring them to storage. This can be a long process, as each game has to have a storage box built around it in order to ensure the best fit and, consequently, the best protection for the cartridge.

Game cartridge in opened box

A game box opened all the way…

Image of game box closed

…and a game box closed up tight to protect the cartridge from light and dust.

Once all the games are boxed and stored, the next phase of the project begins, which includes digitizing the games and eventually, adding them to the library’s catalog so people (like you!) can see what we have. If this has got you itching to play some of your old favorites, you may consider stopping by the UGL to check out updates to the classics, like Mariokart Wii, The Legend of Zelda, Sonic the Hedgehog, or Final Fantasy. You need a break from all that studying, anyway.

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Interim Hours

The summer term is coming to an end, and if you’re reading this, you probably survived. Congratulations! There’s a few weeks before the fall semester kicks into gear, and like you, the UGL needs time to recharge for the new school year. Our hours are changing slightly for the next few weeks, and your friendly UGL blog has all the deets.

UGL Sign welcomes you.
Here’s a breakdown of our hours during the summer interim, which begins Monday, August 5th.

  • Sunday, August 4th: Closed
  • Monday, August 5th thru Friday, August 9th: The UGL will be open daily from 8:30am to 5pm. Please note that the media collection closes at 4:30pm.
  • Saturday, August 10th and Sunday, August 11th: Closed
  • Monday, August 12th thru Thursday, August 15th: The UGL will be open daily from 8:30am to 5pm. Please note that the media collection closes at 4:30pm.
  • Friday, August 16th: The UGL will be open from 1pm to 5pm. Please note that the media collection closes at 4:30pm.
  • Saturday, August 17th and Sunday, August 18th: Closed
  • Monday, August 19th thru Friday, August 23rd: The UGL will be open daily from 8:30am to 5pm. Please note that the media collection closes at 4:30pm.
  • Saturday, August 24th and Sunday, August 25th: The UGL will be open daily from 1pm to 5pm. Please note that the media collection closes at 4:30pm.

Monday, August 26th starts the new school year, when the UGL will return to its normal 24/5 semester hours. Keep an eye on the blog once classes start again, because we’ll be bringing all sorts of goodies and tips to make this year a success. See you then!

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Not sure where to look? Start here!

Summer is halfway over (say it isn’t so!) and we know that some of you are still busy little bees, working hard to complete your summer courses. We work hard in the summer, too, often updating programs and moving things around to better suit your needs. Sometimes, while the library is rearranging and refreshing, some systems, like the catalog or Interlibrary loan, will be offline for a day or two, making it difficult to find the materials you want. This is your guide to finding everything you need, no matter what.

Photo of book stacks in a library

The UIUC libraries have hundreds of resources available to you, right at your finger tips. So even if you can’t find what you’re looking for with one tool, we usually have another one that can get you to your books, articles, and movies. Here are some good places to search for different types of resources:

  1. Books, movies, and anything else the library physically owns. Start with our catalog. This is your gateway to all the libraries’ holdings. There are links to it on the main library page, and the UGL main page.
    • Where do you go if the catalog’s not working? Try one of our newest search tools, Primo. You can follow that link, or find it linked on the main library page under the easy search box. This tool will search for not only books, but articles, journals, and other electronic resources as well. So if you’re only interested in books, make sure to select “UIUC library catalog” from the drop-down menu next to the search box.
    • If the catalog is offline, the information in Primo will be a ‘snapshot’ of what was available when the catalog was last working. The book you’re looking for may have been checked out in the meantime, but you can find out if we own it and where we keep it!
  2. Books that are owned by other libraries. Even with millions of books available, sometimes the one you need will be already be checked out, or missing. In these cases, you can use I-share to search for your item in libraries across the state that share books with us. Use the link we just provided, or choose “All I-Share Libraries” from the drop-down menu next to the search bar in the catalog.
    Drop-down menu options include Local Catalog Only and All I-Share Libraries - choose I-Share to search widely.

    Like this!

    • If you still can’t find what you need, you can request it through Interlibrary loan. You can follow that link to the ILLiad login screen (ILLiad is the system that lets you access Interlibrary Loan), or find it on the main library page under “Borrowing and Renewing Materials.” Log in with your NetID and password, then choose “Request a Book.” Fill in the details it asks for, then click “Submit Request” to send the information whizzing along to a librarian, who will work to find your items at another library and get them to you. But note: Sometimes, this system will go down, too, so make sure you’ve searched I-Share first. If it’s really not available, ask a friendly librarian for help.
  3. Articles, journals, and other electronic resources. There are so many ways to search for articles and journals, because you have access to hundreds of databases as a UIUC student. If you know a specific database that you want, you can find a link to it using the Online Journals and Databases search. Or you can use the UGL’s Find Articles Guide to help you choose a good place to start. If, though, you are looking for a particular article or journal, and you know the title, author, publication date, etc., you can use a really nifty tool called the Journal and Article Locator to search for only the item you’re interested in. Just fill in your citation information and voila, links to the article will appear on your screen. The JAL is also available from the library main page, listed under “Article Resources.”
    • If you can’t find the article you need using any of those methods, Interlibrary Loan can also help you with that! Just log into ILLiad through the main library page like you would for a book, but select “Request a Photocopy” instead. Fill in the information you have about the articles, and librarians will request a copy of it for you from an institution that owns it.

When all else fails you can always Ask a Librarian through chat, email, phone, or in person. We’re waiting to answer your questions and help you find the resources you need to succeed.

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Soak up the summer

Summer and vacation go together like librarians and books. After all, in the summer, the weather’s nicer (sometimes) and people have more free time (maybe). Vacations don’t necessarily require you to travel far away, either. Sometimes it’s nice to take a “staycation” and find fun, new things to do close to home.

A suitcase covered in stickers implies much fulfilling travel.

The library has a lot of resources you can peruse if you’re planning a trip. There are library guides for popular destinations, like Italy and Costa Rica. You can also search for travel guides in the library’s catalog. They’re pretty easy to find once you know how to search for them.

First you want to start in the library catalog. When you search by keyword, don’t just put in your destination, which will net you too many results to sift through. Instead, tacking things like “guidebook” or “travel guide” on to the end of your search will help ensure you’re getting the types of books you want. For example, if you were traveling to New Mexico, a search for “new mexico – travel guide” will yield some great results. (You don’t have to use the quotation marks, either.)

Can you search for things closer to home this way, too? Of course! Like above, you just substitute “illinois” (so you’re searching for “Illinois – travel guide”) and you’ll see over 300 books waiting to tell you all the cool places to visit in the Prairie State. If you’re looking for something even closer to home, check out the calendar for the Champaign County Arts Council for fun events happening all summer, or the suggestions from the Champaign County Conventions and Visitors Bureau.

Safe and happy travels, #ClubUGL.

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