A reminder that each subject guide on the library website includes a list of recommended websites. These sites have been reviewed by a librarian, and contain authoritative and accurate information. Using the recommended websites will help save you time that would otherwise be spent trying to determine the author, accuracy, and currency of the information presented to you as you sift through thousands of Google (or Yahoo!, etc.) search results. Why spend all that time trying to find good websites, when we’ve already done the work for you!
Here at the library, we’re big on what we like to call information portals. These are research based websites that provide access and links to scholarly and professional information in designated subject areas. One of the better portals on the web for information in the social sciences is INTUTE:Social Sciences There are some great links here, as well as access to reports and articles covering all fields within the social sciences. Give it a look today!
Published August 20, 2007
Still looking for some entertaining audio to fill up your ipod while vacationing this summer? Take a look at the audiobook podcast directory from the Openculture website.
The University of Pennsylvania has put together a nice webpage with links to over 25, 000 online books that is certainly worth a look. A quick perusal of the items on offer raises the question: why are some books available online while others are not? Many of the books you’ll find online in full text are old enough that they fall in the public domain. While copyright laws are extensive, they do have limits in terms of longevity. For a roundup of copyright law and the public domain take a look at this webpage from Cornell University.
So while it is possible to read Huckleberry Finn online from sources like Project Gutenberg, your most likely not going to be able to find your recent text book for free online. However, the Regis Libraries do offer access to several electronic book collections including Books 24X7 and NetLibrary, which provide you access to copyrighted materials licensed for use by Regis University students. All of these sources are worth investigating!
Published July 19, 2007
Given the recent report from Google about malicious websites, I thought it might be useful to direct you to one of our favorite web portals: the Librarians’ Internet Index. Here is a short summary of what this site offers.
We have over 20,000 entries, also maintained by our librarians and organized into 14 main topics and nearly 300 related topics. We also offer featured collections. These have ranged from The Grapes of Web (a companion to the 2002 California statewide Steinbeck reading program) to such topics as taxes, elections, and September 11.
Just like with the list of recommended websites you can find on each of the Regis Libraries subject guides, the Librarians’ Internet Index offers you access to authoritative and current resources on the web that have been reviewed by a librarian.
Published February 9, 2007
Subject guides , Tutorials
Have you checked out the Regis Libraries selection of handouts covering subject areas, general research help, specific resources, and finding articles? Well if you have not already taken advantage of these great guides, take a look at the entire list!
Whenever we get a chance to speak with students, we always emphasize using the resources available at the Regis Libraries. Before you get started with your research, you might want to take a look at the Research Skills Tutorial. A goal of this tutorial is to improve information literacy among students. What is information literacy and why is it important? The Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) offers a good explanation on their website–but essentially, it is “the ability to locate, evaluate, and use information to become independent life-long learners.” We’ll talk more about information literacy in future posts. Please let us know your thoughts on the subject.
When you’re ready to begin your research, the subject guides on the library website are the place to start. The resources listed on the guides will direct you to the scholarly and professional literature in your field. For your projects for ED 205, most of you will want to refer to the resources listed on the Education guide–although there may be other subjects you’ll want to consider as well.