CHABOT LIBRARY |
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To begin, go to the Library’s web site: http://www.chabotcollege.edu/Library/
Literature
Resource Center | Library Catalog |
Ebsco
Host | Other Databases | Emailing
Articles
Finding
Texts Similar to A Chosen Text | What to
Do if Text is Checked Out/Not Available
Gale's Literary
Criticism Sources | Other Reference
Resources (Print) | World Wide Web
Sites
That Select Quality Sites | Search
Engines | Citing Books, Articles &
Websites | Your
Search Strategy
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http://proxy.clpccd.cc.ca.us:2048/login?url=http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itweb/ hawy60514?db=LitRC |
Literature Resource Center
is the first place to go to online to find authoritative biographies and
literary criticisms on authors. Login and then search by author,
or select one of the options below to search by title, keyword, time period,
or authors by type.
| To begin, enter the name
of your author under "Author Search" and then select |
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| Some folder tabs you select will lead you to other selections, listed right below the Folder Tabs. Make a selection, first, before scrolling down to see your list of citations. | ![]() |
| For finding authors similar
to your own, you will want to select |
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| Another method to find authors
similar to your own is Authors by Type. After finding characteristics
of your author, click on |
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| After making your selections,
you will be brought to a list of authors which you can then browse.
Once you find an author that meets your liking, be sure to look at biographies,
work overviews, and some articles, particularly book reviews. If
you ever need to look up terms (such as "local color"), definitions are
available from |
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Write three authors and some of their works here (it's good to list more than one as your number one choice may not be readily available).
___________________ _________________________________________________________
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The Library Catalog http://tinyurl.com/8mo5z/
Search the library catalog
for books related to your topic. Select a topic and create a search statement.
Find a book and then its call number. Remember: Books will have in-depth
material. When searching for a book ABOUT an author, you will
select SUBJECT from the catalog. You search by AUTHOR, only if you
are looking for books BY the author. Whenever searching a person,
enter LAST NAME first, then FIRST NAME.
| Go into the Library Catalog
and search by Author or Subject Heading by entering your term and then
clicking on Scroll down and click to other pages (if available) to view all the headings related to your search term (see example of such list to the right). Click on the links to headings that best meet your interest. |
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| You can also search by very
broad terms and make a keyword search, but keep in mind that results will
be less relevant. To do so, enter your search terms with the word
"AND" in between your terms and click on |
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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: |
| EBSCO HOST PERIODICAL DATABASES |
http://proxy.clpccd.cc.ca.us:2048/login? url=http://search.ebscohost.com/userlogin.asp?user=glads&password=gowin&ip=no? |
| At the first window, click
on |
For login and password, contact the Reference Desk. |
In addition to Literature
Resource Center, many critical articles are available in our Ebsco Host
databases such as the many you may find in our trial to Academic Search
Elite or the few you may find in our current subscription to MasterFILE
Premier. We recommend you select the link to the Trials and then
enter the login and password. Our trials are available until May
1. If after May 1, go to Current Ebsco Host link, listed above.
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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.
For more information, look at Your
Search Strategy. The example below uses "Sex Role AND Work Environment,"
but the same rules apply if you enter "Chopin Kate AND women."
Enter your search statement here: __________________________________________________
If you get results you do not want, click on |
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You can double check your spelling of any words by clicking on ![]() |
| Reading the Results List Screen | Reading the Top of an Article | ||||||||||
| If you find a really good
article and want to find more like it, go to the top of the article (right)
and try clicking on links next to Subject(s), Source, or Author(s). Example below again relates to search statement "Sex Role AND Work Environment"
Results to evaluated web
sites can be found by clicking on |
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Select an article from Ebsco Host and enter relevant information:
| Author: | Title: |
| Title of Journal: | Volume, year, and page numbers: |
OTHER DATABASES Go to Complete List of Databases and select a database such as:
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Our current trial to GenderWatch
gives
you journal, magazine, and newspaper articles on topics relating to gender,
including feminist literary criticisms. This trial is available until
May 1.
URL: http://proxy.clpccd.cc.ca.us:2048/login?url=http://gw.proquest.com/ pass.asp?productid=2&user=chabot&pw=welcome&ip=no |
| Author: | Title: |
| Title of Source: | Volume, Year, and Page Numbers: |
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1. Search for your author in resources such as Literature Resource Center or the Gale texts listed below. For the Gale books, keep in mind that for each volume of Dictionary of Literary Biography, each is dedicated to a particular genre, time period or ethnicity. Search for criticism about your author also in the Literature themed web sites listed below. You can also search a book ABOUT your author in the Library Catalog. Check also the Critical Survey of Poetry, Reference: PN1111 .C7 or American Women Writers, Reference: PS 147 A4, our sources listed under Other Reference Resources below, or other books listed in the P section of the Reference Shelves
2. When reading literary criticism of your work or reading an author's biography, look for what writers influenced your author or who your author may have influenced, similar themes expressed in particular works, similar characters, etc.
2a. You can also try to find a similar work by literary theme, genre, or literary movement.
2b. There are also a couple of "tricks" you can use in Litearture Resource Center. One is to select your author, go to Other Resources, select Themes, and then after selecting particular themes, find what authors focus on the same ones (step by step instructions are listed above). In Literature Resource Center, you could also select Authors by Type (step by step instructions also listed above).
2c. Use the following
print source:
Fiction Catalog
Reference Shelves: Z5916 .W74 1991
Search by a particular
theme or concept in the Subject/Title index in the back!
3. To learn more about
what your second book/texts are about once you picked one, look at the
following sources (top of next page).
Note: You may want to
check to see if your book/text is available, first, before researching
the titles below, but look at the next section What to Do if Your Chosen
Second Text is Checked Out before automatically giving up!
| Books in Print Database
Enter book title or author (last name, first name). Bottom of full description may contain a synopsis. Click on Title Reviews or Author Biography for more information (when available) |
http://www.booksinprint.comLogin/Password available at reference desk |
| Literature Resource Center
Look at biographies, work overviews, and articles |
http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itweb/hawy60514?db=LitRC
Password available at reference desk |
| Magill on Literature
and Magill on Authors in Ebsco Host
Trial lasts until May 1 for both these databases |
http://trial.epnet.comLogin: CCL Password: trial |
| Magill's Literary Annual | Reference Shelves: PN44 M33 |
| Book Review Digest | Reference Shelves: Z1219 .C96 |
| Masterplots | Reference Shelves: PN44.M3 |
| Masterplots II: American Fiction | Reference Shelves: PN846.M37 |
| Masterplots II: Afro-American Authors | Reference Shelves: PS153.N5 |
| Masterplots II: American Literature | Reference Shelves: PS153.N5 M2645 |
| Masterplots II: Drama | Reference Shelves: PN6112.5 .M37 1990 |
| Masterplots II: Womens' Literature | Reference Shelves: PN471 .M37 1995 |
| Masterplots II: Short Stories | Reference Shelves: PN3326 .M27 1986 |
| Masterplots II: Poetry | Reference Shelves: PN1110.5 .M37 1992 |
| Atlantic Monthly Magazine Search | http://www.theatlantic.com/search |
What to Do if Your Chosen Second Text is Checked Out/Not Available
1) Hopefully, you began
your research early. If the text is available at Las Positas Library,
come to the circulation desk to ask for us to get that text. We get
texts from Las Positas Tuesday and Thursday afternoons (request your book
at least a day in advance for delivery). If you have already checked
out materials at the Library this semester, you can request a hold by clicking
on Place Hold.
2)
If checked out, come to the circulation desk and we will place a hold for
you, or click on Place Hold.
You often will need to allow at least two weeks, however.
3) Search the Alameda
County Library Catalog and the Hayward
Public Library Catalog to see if your title is available, there.
Go to the appropriate branch to find and check out your title with an Alameda
County or Hayward City Library Card (if you do not have one, get one!)
4) Check the Library
Catalog at Cal State Hayward, and if the book is there, either obtain
a Courtesy Library Card from the Checkout Desk at Chabot College Library
and then go to Cal State Hayward Library and check out your book!-- or
at Cal State Hayward Library, itself you can purchase your own personal
library card for only $25. For more information, go to CSUH
Library Help for Students.
5) Is your book copyright
free
(In most cases, published in 1910 and earlier)? Go to the
Online
Books Page. You may find your book available on the Web, full
text.
| Links to Cal State Hayward and Other Libraries | http://www.chabotcollege.edu/Library/abby/links.html |
| Chabot/Las Positas Library Catalog | http://tinyurl.com/8mo5z/ |
| Alameda County Library Catalog | http://alam1.aclibrary.org/search |
| Hayward Public Library Catalog | http://library.cityofhayward.com/ |
| Cal State Hayward Library Catalog (HAYSTAC) | http://134.154.30.10/ |
| CSUH Library Help for Students | http://www.chabotcollege.edu/Library/csuhayward/ |
| On-line Books Page | http://digital.library.upenn.edu/books/ |
Consider this to be your "short cut." The Library contains many reference books, which are useful for many purposes such as: providing you with biographies and backgrounds of authors, statistics and facts, brief descriptions of particular historical periods and cultures. Many reference books on literature and renowned writers can be found on the reference shelves under call numbers beginning with the letter, P (which stands for "Languages and Literatures"). You can photocopy any pages you want from our reference books. If you have any questions for finding sources beyond what’s listed below, ask a reference librarian.
Many of these reference sources can be looked up in our database, Gale’s Literary Index which will let you know from one screen where you can find information about your author in MOST of our available resources.
Your Perfect Online Resource is the following:
Literature Resource Center http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itweb/hawy60514?db=LitRCPassword available at reference desk
Gale’s Literary Index—How to Use http://www.galenet.com/servlet/LitIndex
Here are the most commonly
used Gale literary reference resources in our collection.
| Contemporary Literary Criticism (CLC) | Reference Shelves: PN771.C59 |
| Contemporary Authors (CA) | Reference Shelves: PS128.C6 |
| Dictionary of Literary Biography (DLB) | Reference Shelves: Shelved after Contemporary Authors in Reference Shelves (PS 128.C6) |
| Twentieth Century Literary Criticism (TCLC) | Reference Shelves: PN771.T85 |
| Poetry Criticism | Reference Shelves: PN1010 .P6 |
Dictionary of Literary Biography, Contemporary Authors and SOME of Contemporary Literary Criticism, Twentieth Century Literary Criticism and Poetry Criticism are available in Literature Resource Center. Just search your author(s), theme(s) and title(s) in Literature Resource Center.
Browse the P shelves in the
Reference area for other resources on authors and literature for resources
not indexed in Gale’s Literary Index. Below are some other biographical
and history resources that may assist you with your project.
| Current Biography Yearbook | Reference Shelves: CT100.C8 1940 |
| American Decades | Reference Shelves: E 169.12 A4196 1996 |
| Critical Survey of Poetry | Reference Shelves: PN1111 .C7 |
| American Women Writers | Reference: PS 147 A4 |
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.
Reference Resources
Some reference resources are also available on the web.
Online Reference Shelf—Biographical Works http://www.chabotcollege.edu/Library/onlineref/Biography.html
Librarians’ Index to the Internetwww.lii.org
Online Reference Shelf—Citation Guides/Style Manuals http://www.chabotcollege.edu/Library/onlineref/citation.html
Online Books
On-Line Books Page http://digital.library.upenn.edu/books/
(Mostly pre-twentieth century
material, and non-copyrighted, full text books with sometimes, original
illustrations!)
Sites that Select and Evaluate Quality Web Sites:
Encyclopedia Britannicahttp://search.eb.com/
(On Campus Only.
Select "Britannica Internet Guide" from the options below)
Internet Public Library's Literary Criticism Collection http://www.ipl.org/ref/litcrit/
Academic Info: American
Literature http://www.academicinfo.us/amlit.html
Links are available on the
right to English Literature and Comparative Literature
Voice of the Shuttle: English Literature http://vos.ucsb.edu/shuttle/english.html
U.C. Berkeley and Internet Resources—English and American Literature http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/doemoff/english/sources.html#searchengines
Scout Report Archives http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/archives/
Select Search Engines that will More Likely Lead you to Academic Web Sites
Web Guides and Search Engines http://www.chabotcollege.edu/Library/onlineref/websearch.html
The left side leads you to portals and other search tools that more likely will lead you to selected web sites. For more comprehensive searches, use Google or SearchEDU, but be prepared to evaluate the quality of a website.
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/Eng4/Puckett.html