CHABOT LIBRARY

Home  ·  Hours  ·  Library Catalog  ·  Magazines, Journal Articles, Newspapers  ·  Contact Us

Resources Available at the Library (English 101B: Transue)
To begin, go to the Library’s web site: http://www.chabotcollege.edu/Library/  or Your Search Strategy
 

Library Catalog | Pro/Con Books | Choosing a Database | Ebsco Host
 Other db's | Emailing/Finding Articles |  Reference (Print) | Pamphlet Files
Reference (Web) | To Quality Sites | Search Engines and Domains | Works Cited

Map of the Library        Library of Congress Classification
 
 

SUBJECT HEADINGS

Sometimes instead of searching by keywords, you may have better luck finding materials by consulting the Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH).  This is important because you can sometimes get better search results.  For example, articles, books, and web sites on the "death penalty" will usually be indexed under "Capital Punishment."  To browse such headings, they are in the four thick red volumes on the left side of the reference desk.
 

Abortion Pro-life movement Pro-choice movement	Juvenile Justice Gangs School Violence	Illegal aliens Immigration law Civil Rights
Animal rights Euthanasia Right to Die	Genetic Engineering Genetically modified foods Fetal tissues-research	Firearms--law and legislation Gun Control UnitedStates-ConstitutionalLaw-Amendments-2nd
Smoking Tobacco toxicology Cancer	Pollution Ecology Environmental protection	Homelessness Urban Poor Housing Policy
Bilingualism Education, Bilingual Children of immigrants--Education	Civil Rights Women's Rights Gay Rights	Hate crimes Racism Sexism

SEARCH THE LIBRARY CATALOG

Search or browse the Library Catalog related to your topic.  For searching, be sure to create an effective search statement and be prepared to refine your search.  For browsing, scan the list of subject headings until you find the one that best fits your topic. Find a book and then its call number. Remember: Books will have in-depth material but will be dated.  For example,  books on terrorism would almost all be published, pre-September 11.  
 

Searching the Catalog:  This is the best approach when your research need relies you to combine search terms.  Make sure words or phrase is selected underneath Search For and narrow your search down to Chabot College if you only want to find books available at Chabot.  Combine different terms such as: united states AND iraq or cloning AND religion.   . enter your terms with AND in between and then click on . See Your Search Strategy for more information on phrasing a search statement.

Browsing the catalog:  This is the best approach when you are searching by broad subjects and prefer to not have to search what may otherwise lead to hundreds of titles.  Get into the catalog as you ordinarily would, and follow the directions below: Once you get into the catalog, switch to Power Search: . From there, select on the right. Enter your search terms, and then select , listed below. In the example stated on the right, notice there is a selection to see "related headings."  In this case "related headings" would've lead the user to the subject heading, "Juvenile Delinquency" which would contain results that could be on the same topic but not have the word, "gangs."

Reading a Record: Locating a Book

You locate a book by its Library of Congress Call Number.  When reading the results, be sure to write down the call number, along with the title and the author of the book.  Make sure the book is located at Chabot and then see where it is located.  If a book is in the Stacks, they are located against the wall in the back of the main room of the Library.  If a book is in Reference, you will find it in the swirling shelves, just around the reference desk.  Reference books cannot be checked out, but they are very useful for you to view and to photocopy materials.

Enter your search statement here:  __________________________________________________
   
   

List a Book You Have Found Here Look at the FULL record and make sure to enter all fields below.
                                                                             Also, Make sure the title is from Chabot:

Title:	Author:
Place of Publication, Publisher & Year:	Call Number:

 
 

Pro/Con Books (Titles In Series):  The Library contains Series of Books devoted to providing pro and con viewpoints to many hot topics (often in editorial essay form).  Listed below are the names of the  different Series we have:  
 

Information Plus will give you in-depth statistical information, while the other series will give you effective argumentative essays.  These books can be checked out.  To search the Catalog, use Keyword search, enter the title of the series and combine it with your topic:

If you want to get general overviews, you should begin with CQ Researcher, the Facts on File Issues & Controversies database, or a Subject Encyclopedia from the Reference Shelves (look under Reference).   
 

Choosing A Database

For most topics, Ebsco Host academic search premier will be a splendid database to begin finding materials for this assignment. It is a multi-subject database that will greatly investigate materials related to the humanities, the social sciences, and multi-cultural studies.  GenderWatch would also be an excellent resource for any issues related to gender, and Ethnic NewsWatch would be an excellent resource for points of views from different ethnicities and races across the United States.  Finally, Encyclopedia Britannica is another excellent resource for this assignment.
 

 

EBSCO HOST PERIODICAL DATABASES	Ebsco Host from Home: http://search.ebscohost.com/login.asp
At the first window, click on	For login and password, contact the Reference Desk.

At the next window, place a check next to the database(s) of your choice and then click 
You will need to perform more specific searches here as there will be more material available.  Remember to use the connector, AND, in between your terms.  Remember: you want to search periodicals for more up-to-date material.
 
 

Enter your search statement here:  __________________________________________________
 
 
 

If you get results you do not want, click on Refine Search and perform a different search.

You can also search by ONE TERM at a time by clicking on. If you get results you do not want, click on  and perform a different search.  To view your past searches, click on .
 
 

Reading the Results List Screen

Reading the Top of an Article

When you click on the full record of a result, which should be clicking on the title (NOT the full text icon) you will read information about the article.  If you find a really good article and want to find more like it, clicking on links next to Subject(s), Source, or Author(s) may help.   Title: Bilingual education. Subject(s) : EDUCATION, Bilingual Source : Phi Delta Kappan  , May98, Vol. 79 Issue 9, p672, 6p, 1bw Author(s) : Rothstein, Richard Abstract : Focuses on the controversy surrounding bilingual education. The arguments of proponents and opponents of bilingual education; The history of bilingual education; The mixed findings on bilingual education. Database:  academic search premier

 
  Select an article from Ebsco Host and enter relevant information:

Author:	Title:
Title of Journal:	Volume, year, and page numbers:

 
OTHER DATABASES       Go to Magazine, Journal, Newspaper Articles and More and select a database such as:

	ProQuest Ethnic NewsWatch will lead you to newspaper and magazine articles from the ethnic, minority, and native presses across the United States.  An excellent resource to find alternative viewpoints.
	ProQuest Gender Watch will give you journal, magazine, and newsletter articles on topics related to gender, such as women's rights, reproductive rights, sex roles in society, and gay/lesbian rights.
	ProQuest Alt-PressWatch will give you the undercovered stories from newspaper and magazine articles from the alternative presses across the United States.
Direct links to: Quick News Search California News News Transcripts Policy Papers	Lexis-Nexis Academic Universe will search the major and regional newspapers across the United States and the World.  Search in Quick News Search for articles from the last two years.  (Use Guided News Search for older articles).  For searching California newspapers only, go to Guided News Search, select U.S. News as the news category, and then California News Sources as News Source, then enter your search terms (search in Headline and Lead Paragraph--not just Headline).  This database is only available on campus.

 

OFF CAMPUS/Full Text ACCESS: Logins and passwords are available on the small yellow sheet, copies of which are available at the reference desk.  Most of the articles have full text in our database products, but most often, pictures, graphics, and tables are omitted.
 
Enter your search statement here:  __________________________________________________
 
Select an online article from Encyclopedia Britannica, GenderWatch, Ethnic NewsWatch, or another database, and enter relevant information:

Author:	Title:
Title of Source:	Volume, Year, and Page Numbers:

 
EMAILING/FINDING/CITING ARTICLES

EMAILING ARTICLE

If you are at home, or can only print, please click on any "print," "format for printing," or "print-friendly" option from the database, first, then once the screen has been reformatted, select "Print Preview" from the File pull down menu of your browser to make sure you are printing what you are seeing and to select pages to print.   At the Library, Please print as FEW PAGES AS POSSIBLE.

IN GENERAL, IF YOU ARE IN THE LIBRARY, PLEASE EMAIL YOUR ARTICLES INSTEAD OF PRINTING. Make sure you have the article itself on the screen.  Otherwise, you may be emailing yourself a list of citations. Click on the Email button.  It is available on the top of the screen of each database.  On the right are Email buttons as they appear in our many databases You may be asked to make certain selections.  If you want full text make sure it is selected and then click on "Submit" or "OK" Enter Email address and then select "Submit" or "OK"

Ebsco Host Encyclopedia Britannica A link that says Email This Article will be on the top left of your Encyclopedic entry. Ethnic NewsWatch, GenderWatch, Alt-PressWatch Lexis-Nexis Academic Universe SIRS Knowledge Source Issues & Controversies No Email function is available.  Click Print Preview from the File menu of your browser to see what pages you want to print, and then click OK

  FINDING AN ARTICLE IN OUR COLLECTION

PAPER COPIES:  Go to the Periodicals Desk which is next to the elevator. If on Ebsco Host, check Notes to see if we have the Year in paper or Microfilm, first

MICROFILM COPIES: If Ebsco Host notes Chabot has it on Microfilm, go to the green cabinets on the Mezzanine.  Microfilm readers are available on the wall.  For assistance in finding microfilm or using the readers, go to the Audio Visual Center desk on the Mezzanine.

If we do not have the title, do not despair.  Does Ebsco Host list another library having it?  Also, check to see if the Library at California State University, Hayward has the title by going to: http://aphid.csuchico.edu/lso/hayward/search.asp
 
 

The Library contains many reference books, which are useful for many purposes such as: providing you with an overview of a particular subject, leads to other good resources on your subject, statistics and facts, and directories to organizations or associations that can provide you with more information.
 

10,000 Ideas for Term Papers, Projects, Reports, and Speeches Have no idea what you want to write about?  Spend an hour looking at many ideas from this resource and we guarantee you will find some inspiration!	Available at the Reference Desk
CQ Researcher Provides overviews on pro/con information, accompanied with chronologies, editorials, statistics, documented facts, and a bibliography of other resources for further reading.	Reference Shelves: H35 E35 Index to CQ Researcher is at the Reference Desk.
Facts on File Issues & Controversies On-line pro/con overviews with statistics and documented facts.  For username and password to access from home, look at the half sheet.	http://www.2Facts on File/
Encyclopedia of Associations This source lists tens of thousands of associations, many dealing with one side or the other of major controversial issues as well as societies devoted to events of History.  Each listing gives a short description and includes an address and phone number, along with Web site address.  Most associations would be happy to send you information materials and/or promotional brochures describing their specific point of view.	Reference Desk: HS17 G33
Statistical Abstract of the United States This convenient reference volume offers current statistics on the social, political, and economic organizations of the United States	Reference Desk: HC202 U58
World Almanac This almanac provides statistical and factual data on a broad and comprehensive level.	Reference Desk: AY67 N5
Online Reference Shelf Find important facts, overviews, statistics, and other reference resources online!	http://www.chabotcollege.edu/onlineref/
Online Subject Index For a particular discipline or a type of article, find the best databases, reference books, and web sites!	http://www.chabotcollege.edu/abby/dbsbysubject.html
Bay Area Census For regional statistics based on the 2000 U.S. census.	http://census.abag.ca.gov/
Statistical Resources on the Web If you cannot find desired statistics from the Statistical Abstract of the United States, World Almanac, go to this excellent directory to selected reliable statistic web sites	http://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/frames/statsfr.html
Online Subject Index: Statistics Chabot Library's index to resources that will lead you to reliable statistics	http://www.chabotcollege.edu/Library/abby/ dbsbysubject.html#statistics

 

Face it. The World Wide Web can contain good resources for library research, but trying to find them is a chore! There is just too much junk and misinformation or web pages that have information without having their facts verified. Take caution and evaluate each web site you come across carefully.

For resources on the World Wide Web, start with these evaluated resources

Metasites: Sites that Select and Evaluate Quality Web Sites:

Below are three examples of search engines you will find on the left side of the Web Guides and Search Engines page underneath "Academic Searching."  These sites are evaluated by librarians and other academics and include descriptions, informing you about authors and institution's credentials, if any valuable sites still have a leaning bias, and also will lead you to sites where you can then perform a more specific search, to places a regular search engine such as Google can NEVER retrieve.

Librarians’ Index to the Internet www.lii.org

Scout Report Archives http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/archives/

INFOMINE http://infomine.ucr.edu/

Academic Info  http://www.academicinfo.us/  Scroll down past the "sponsored links" (the regular category links may sometimes be buried on some pages)
 

General Search Engines
Note: For this assignment I would strongly recommend you resort to this option last.  You will very likely find many biased web sites for this assignment that are furthermore, not of acceptable quality.  Unless you are an expert for evaluating the quality of a web site, I would recommend you not use a regular search engine, including Google and SearchEdU.  For this assignment, please use only these three resources.  Also, keep in mind that while domains stand for the type of institutions and web sites you will get usually, sometimes some organizations use other domains.  For example, some non-profits and educational sites sometimes do use the .com domain, though rarely-- while some commercial sites do use the .org domain.  The search tools below only search by domains and how often other sites link to these sites.  Other than that, any site can be picked up by these search engines.

SearchGov  http://www.searchgov.com/

SearchEdu  http://www.searchedu.com/

Google: org searching  http://www.google.com/advanced_search?q=site:.org
      Or go to Google, select "Advanced Search" and in the category, domain, make sure the pull down menu is highlighted to Only and that you limit it to .org-- example below:

Advice for this assignment: Regardless of domain, always be skeptical of any site you find on the web.  Instructor Transue asks you to only look at sites ending with .gov, .edu, or .org.  Be sure to be able to evaluate the site, regardless, using the Web Evaluation Checklist.

Web Evaluation Checklist  http://www.chabotcollege.edu/Library/abby/evaluation.html

.gov  Sites come from different departments and entities of the United States.  State government sites may have a .us domain, followed by its state, instead.  Reliable Information, usually.  Government institutions have the responsibility to provide accurate, detailed information, and reliability is high.  That does not always mean that these sites are 100% free of a political viewpoint or politics, even if done more neutrally, however-- but such effects are usually minor and information is usually presented objectively.  Note:  Some information could be removed or not posted these days due to national security reasons, and sometimes materials could be removed because a previous president's/governor's policies do not gel with the current ones.  Guarantee of quality: high

.edu  Sites from educational institutions, usually colleges and universities.  Often contains in-depth research projects, instructional materials from professors, and projects provided by academic departments.  Keep your eyes open for college students' web sites and personal pages, however, as there is no criteria for their information to be on the Web, and unless students demonstrate competent research on their web sites, do not consider such pages.  Student web pages usually have a directory/folder in the web address that resembles a username, usually followed by a tilde (~):  www.berkeley.edu/~pbailey/factsoncloning.html  (The institution may be UC Berkeley, but later a username follows, revealing a student's web page.  The "facts" on cloning could be presented by a freshman student who put the assignment together in haste, and did not use reliable sources for his page, which he may have not even included).  Occasionally, a non-profit organization may have a .edu domain, especially if it is also part of an educational institution (example: the Hoover Institute of Stanford University is probably more like a non-profit). Guarantee of quality: high if there is no username is present.  If a username is present, especially with a tilde, quality is LOW

.org  Sites from nonprofit organizations.  Some nonprofit organizations can be research institutions similar to an educational one.  For example, the non-partisan Rand organization has a world-wide reputation for its excellent research and its reports are sometimes considered more authoritative than even government reports.  However, some nonprofit organizations often are strongly opinionated, as well.  In general, unless you know something about the institution, do not consider a .org site to be a place to get an objective overview but to find research-oriented data that supports an opinion, cause, or claim.  Guarantee of quality: medium, overall.  High, if it is a reputable, non-political non-profit.  Some non-profit organizations do not back up their opinions or causes well on their web sites, but may have print resources that do.  Some obscure ones may not do a good job backing their claims at all.  Rely on the reputation of the institution, and consider looking it up in the Encyclopedia of Associations for more information.  Remember that politically charged sites exist to persuade you, almost to the effect of "selling" you ideas or points of views.

.com  Unless you pick up a .com site from the Academic metasites listed above, be prepared to not really find information, but more of a commercial, as that is what .com stands for: commercial.  Not only do such sites often provide a lot of ads, either in the forms of banner advertising, pop-up ads, or "sponsored links," but such sites are often also selling a product or service.  Some information or dictionaries these sites contain could be actually limited, trivial, or even distorted as it could be convincing you to buy their product or services.  Some information sites such as newspapers and news stations (such as cnn.com) can still be good-- though sometimes not all news/information content is available or you need to "register" to use the sites (read that as inviting junk E-mail), and sometimes you may be asked to pay for access to an article or other information resource.   With the resources the Library has available online, you do not have to spend money on web services-- a lot of the same information is available in Library subscription databases.   Guarantee of quality:  Depends on reputation of the institution, but in most cases, assume the site exists mainly to sell you a product or service.  Could be your biggest "waste of time" as a site's purpose to sell you something is not always obvious, at first.

How to search in a search engine:  Always surround your phrases in quotation marks and either combine your search terms with "AND" (capitalized) in between your terms or enter a + sign before them. 

Example:  "gun control" AND legislation

Take a look at the MLA Citation Handout.  Take note that when citing an article from a Library Subscription Database such as the ones listed above, you need to follow special instructions.

MLA Citation Handout  http://www.chabotcollege.edu/Library/onlineref/cited.html

Article From a Library Subscription Database  http://www.chabotcollege.edu/Library/onlineref/cited.html#database

This handout is also available at the following address: http://www.chabotcollege.edu/Library/handouts/Eng1A/Transue.html