Perspectives on Inquiry MTU Library Resources

Ecological Footprinting UN1001, Sections R07, R19, & R48 D. Heikinen

David Bezotte, Librarian (JRVP Library, Room 203, dbezotte@mtu.edu, Phone 487-3041)

 

Guide to the Library -http://www.lib.mtu.edu/about/MTU_Library_Guide.pdf

Answers your questions about the basics of using the MTU Library.

 

For Assistance

For individual assistance or instruction from a librarian, visit or phone the Reference/Information Desk (487-2507), e-mail reflib@mtu.edu, or use the Ask a Librarian button on the Librarys web page.

 

Interlibrary Loan (ILL) access to items from other libraries.

Request items using an ILL form available at the Circulation desk, or online by selecting Interlibrary Loanon the Librarys web page. Some index databases also allow ILL requests through their sites.

 

Locating Books & Periodicals

Books are located on the Third Floor in the Main Collection, shelved by Library of Congress call number.

Periodicals are shelved by Library of Congress call number in these locations:

CURRENT JOURNALS (1^st Floor): Recent issues kept here until bound or reissued in microfilm/fiche.

SERIALS COLLECTION (Garden Level): Bound periodicals.

MICROFORMS AREA (2nd Floor ): Microfilm & Microfiche cabinets located on west side of 2nd floor.

E-Journals: The Library subscribes to an increasing number of journals which provide electronic versions of their publications online. Access them under E-Resources on the Librarys web page.

 

Reference Collection - 2^nd Floor

The Reference Collection is a good place to collect background information on an issue or start your research. The collection is arranged by subject, using the Library of Congress Classification System (LCCS) call numbers. An outline of the system is available at http://www.loc.gov/catdir/cpso/lcco/lcco.html.

Facts on File D 410 .F3 REF

Editorials on File D 839 .E3 REF

Beachams Guide to Environmental Issues and Sources - GE115.B43 REF

CQ Researcher H 35 .E2 REF

Contains reports of about 20 pages in length on current issues in a wide range of subjects, including agriculture, conservation of natural resources, energy, environmental protection, waste products & landfills, and water resources. A comprehensive index is available at http://library.cqpress.com/researcher_index.pdf.

 

Resources on the Web

FirstGov: www.firstgov.gov - Portal to federal and state government information. All sites linked by FirstGov are evaluated for accuracy and authority.

 

Evaluating Information Sources - Consult these sites provided by other institutions:

Identifying Research Articles: http://gateway.library.uiuc.edu/lsx/tutorial/section3.html

Identifying Refereed Journals: http://gateway.library.uiuc.edu/lsx/tutorial/section3_1.html

Identifying Scientific Journals: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_journal

Evaluating Web Sites: http://www.library.cornell.edu/okuref/research/webeval.html

 

Citation style guides: http://library.concordia.ca/help/howto/citations.html- A site on citation styles produced by Concordia University Libraries.

 

Resources on the Librarys Web Page - www.lib.mtu.edu

JRVP Online Catalog contains records of materials owned by the MTU Library.

Two search interfaces, Basic and Keyword allow the user to search for items by author, title, subject, call number, ISBN/ISSN, or keyword(s.) Catalog records include bibliographic and location information for items retrieved in your search. Use the Location, Status, Call Number information to find an item in the Library collections.

 

Periodical & Newspaper Indexes

To find citations to recent articles from journals, conference proceedings, and other publications, go to the Librarys web page and select E-Resources & E-Alerts. The resulting screen offers four search options for finding databases or electronic journals: (1) Keyword search of database titles and/or descriptions, (2) E-Resources A-Z to browse an alphabetical list by title (3) Search by Subject Headings, (4) Search by Provider. Here are some recommended databases:

 

ABI/Inform Covers a wide range of business and management topics. Some full text included.

 

FirstSearch

Wilson Select Plus: A full text database comprised of articles represented by selected citations from Readers' Guide Abstracts, Social Sciences Abstracts, Humanities Abstracts, General Science Abstracts, Education Abstracts, and Wilson Business Abstracts.

AGRICOLA: Covers all aspects of agriculture, including agricultural engineering, environmental pollution, forestry, soils, and water resources. Citations-some have abstracts--are for journal articles, book chapters, conference proceedings, theses, etc. Another version of this database may be accessed at http://www.nal.usda.gov/ag98/.

Applied Science and Technology: This index is also known as ASTA. It leads users to the latest findings in every area of science, engineering and technology. Covers trade and industrial publications, journals issued by professional and technical societies and specialized subject periodicals. Abstracts database records include abstracts and indexing information.

Biological & Agricultural Index: Indexes English language periodicals covering the entire range of sciences related to biology and agriculture. Also includes current book reviews.

 

InfoTrac

General Reference Center Gold (issues and philosophers): A general interest database that integrates a variety of sources in one easy-to-use interface. Contains articles from newspapers, reference books, and periodicals, many with full-text.

InfoTrac Custom 150 Full Text Newspapers:A collection of newspapers from around the Country and the World;

Expanded Academic ASAP:Gives access to arts and the humanities to social sciences, science and technology scholarly journals, news magazines, and newspapers - many with full text and images.

InfoTrac OneFile, A one-stop source for news and periodical articles on a wide range of topics. Includes some full-text.

 

LexisNexis

Academic provides full-text documents from over 5,600 news, business, legal, medical, and reference publications with a variety of flexible search options. 

Congressional provides a comprehensive online resource from Congressional hearings, public issues, legislation, history, and legal research.

 

Cambridge Scientific Abstracts

Agricultural and Environmental Biotechnology Abstracts: Covers agricultural products involving both plants and animals, new applications across the food industry, and wide-ranging environmental developments.

Biological Sciences: Interdisciplinary database that offers abstracts and citations to a wide range of research in biomedicine, biotechnology, zoology and ecology, and some aspects of agriculture and veterinary science.

Ecology Abstracts:Indexes information ranging from habitats to food chains, from erosion to land reclamation.

Environmental Sciences and Pollution Management: Deals withenvironmental science, including toxic hazards of chemical pharmaceuticals and other substances: air, marine and freshwater pollution as well as biochemical applications in water treatment and pollution are also covered.

EIS: Digest of Environmental Impact Statements: Extracts the key issues from complex government-released environmental impact statements, converting massive documents into concise, readable abstracts. Each entry includes a clear description of the project, sections on positive impact and negative consequences, and legal mandates.

Environmental Engineering Abstracts: Covers the world literature pertaining to technological and engineering aspects of air and water quality, environmental safety, and energy production.

Pollution Abstracts: Combines information on scientific research and government policies in a single resource. Topics of growing concern are extensively covered from the standpoints of atmosphere, emissions, mathematical models, effects on people and animals, and environmental action in response to global pollution issues.

Risk Abstracts: Encompasses risk arising from industrial, technological, environmental, and other sources, with an emphasis on assessment and management of risk. The journal includes occasional articles on topics of significant interest.

 

Database Keyword Search Tips - http://www.lib.mtu.edu/reference/tutorials/databasekeyword.aspx