March is national Social Work Month, and a great time to recognize the work of all those who are and who are studying to become social workers.  From its origins in combating poverty to the modern effort towards equality and justice, social work has been a source of hope to millions.  First celebrated in 1964, this year’s theme is ‘Weaving Threads of Resilience and Advocacy’.

 One of the core resources in the field is the Encyclopedia of Social Work, a reference now in its 20^th edition.  You can use the print volume in the library – it’s shelved at HV35 .S6 – but it’s also available online, as well.  The current edition takes into account emerging topics like the rise of the Internet, faith-based assistance, gerontology, and more.

 For journals, start with a database like ProQuest Social Science Journals or SocIndex.  These let you limit to peer reviewed articles, full text, or by date.  Both have hundreds of full text journals, making them great places to start.

 And for ebooks, try the Social Sciences eBook Collection.  While any of our ebook sources, like EBSCO Ebooks or Ebrary will contain hundreds of titles, the SSEC is dedicated to the social sciences, so more of it will be relevant to you.

 And that’s just the beginning.  All of our other social work-related databases can be found on this libguide.  And as always, if you need any help, please contact me at iueref@iue.edu

A common question students have is, “How do I tell if an article has been peer-reviewed?”

 A peer-reviewed journal is one in which other experts in the field read the articles before they are printed, and verify that the research is sound and that they are suitable for publication. It is a method for improving the reliability and credibility of a journal.  However, it slows down publication – an article might not see print for two years after it’s written, if it undergoes the peer-review process.  So peer-review is great for scholarly research, but poor for news.  That’s why not everything is peer-reviewed.

 Many article databases that we subscribe to allow you to filter to just peer-reviewed journals. In the EBSCO databases like Academic Search Premier, for example, you would put a check mark next to the box that says “Peer Reviewed” in the “Limit Your Results” part of the screen. In the ProQuest databases, the check box is labeled “Peer Reviewed” and is directly under the search box. Other databases differ slightly, but many offer something like this.  Sometimes, you have to select an ‘Advanced Search’ to have this choice.  Please note, this usually just filters to peer-reviewed JOURNALS, not peer-reviewed ARTICLES.  Some peer-review journals publish other things, like book reviews.  Be sure what you’re looking at is an article.

A few article databases don’t have an easy peer-review limiter – databases like JSTOR and the OVID databases (and, of course, databases that don’t deal with articles at all won’t have any – primary source databases like African American Poetry or review databases like Book Review Index specialize in other things).  With these, you can find out if a journal is peer-reviewed by using a resource like Cabell’s Directories or the journal’s own web page to find out for sure.  If they describe their process for peer-review, it’s a peer-reviewed journal.

 In a database with the limiter, type whatever you want to search for in the search blank, choose the peer-review limit, and you’ll get back a search like this (you can tell which are the articles because it will say so in the Document Type line).

 All of our databases are listed by subject on this libguide.  And if you need any help, you can contact me at iueref@iue.edu

Oxford Islamic Studies Online is a new database available through a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the American Library Association.  It is designed to collate the best current scholarship in order to promote a more true and informed understanding of the Islamic world.

OISO is a great first choice for study on any Islamic topic.  It includes everything from introductory works such as What Everyone Needs to Know About Islam to very in-depth sources like the six-volume Oxford Encyclopedia of the Islamic World.  In fact, there are over 5000 entries in a variety of categories covering topics like history, politics, culture, and religious practices.  Biographies, maps, timelines, and other material accent these articles.  There are also convenient tools like an Islamic date converter.

While there is plenty of secondary material about Islam, this database specializes in primary sources and Quranic studies.  In addition to standard reference tools like concordances, OISO can even compare translations of the Qur’an side by side.  It is a powerful tool for in-depth study of Islamic scriptures

So try the OISO for any of your Islamic research needs.  And if you need help, we’re here for you: iueref@iue.edu

Happy African American History Month!  For most of us, this is a time to hear brief biographies of black pioneers and innovators, and experience a slice of American history that can often be overlooked.  It reminds us of the universality of human achievement.  And the library can help with this – sources like Biography in Context offer great overviews of the lives of famous leaders and innovators.  But perhaps this year, you’d like to dig deeper into the African American experience.  

 One great source for this is the database Black Thought and Culture – including interviews, essays, pamphlets, letters, and speeches, in addition to journal articles, it offers a rich and textured look at primary documentation – black history from an African American perspective.  It includes more than 100,000 pages of material.

 Another is African American History Online, which covers more than 500 years of the African American experience. It includes extensive multimedia for any learning style – includes dozens of videos and hundreds of pictures (all of the illustrations used here were drawn from this database).  AAHO is rich in primary source material like letters and speeches, as well as secondary sources like biographies, timelines, maps and charts, and more.  You can search it by keyword or phrase, or browse by topic and by time period – AAHO splits the American experience into eight historical periods relevant specifically to African American history. 

 Or, dip into ebooks with such titles as Columbia Guide to African American History Since 1939 by Robert Harris, History and Memory in African-American Culture by Genevieve Fabre, or From Du Bois to Obama : African American Intellectuals in the Public Forum by Charles Banner-Haley.  Books are available on many specialized facets of the African American experience, from science to sports to religion to activism.

 Regardless of how deeply you want to explore African American history, the library has the right sources for you!  

And if you need help, just ask us at iueref@iue.edu

An interesting reference question that’s popped up a few times this week concerns finding information about old artists and photographers. 

 The best source to start with is Biography in Context.  Type in the name of your artist – you’ll find biographies and articles.  Let’s say we’re interested in Augustus Washington, who was active in the 1840s and 1850s.  You’ll get a results set like this:

 The first is an extensive biography for him, and the second is a newspaper article about his work.  If you need more, JSTOR is also a good source for older articles. 

 But what about high resolution images of their photographs or artwork?  You might have some luck with ImageQuest, which includes images from Encyclopedia Britannica that have been copyright-cleared for educational use:

But the best source for this is probably a free one – try Google Images.  You can limit to just high resolution images by choosing ‘large’ or ‘larger than’ in the search tools menu. 

 Or, if you already have a picture you want, but it’s smaller than you’d like, Google will look for a higher resolution version of it.  Click on the camera icon in the search bar, and upload or link to your picture.  Works from before 1923 (such as Washington’s daguerreotypes) will be in the public domain, as all copyrights before that time have expired.

 Please contact us at iueref@iue.edu if you need any help finding information on your artist!

The library collection continues to grow, but you might not have noticed since the rapid increase in books has often been in e-resources.  One excellent example of a new acquisition is the Brill ebook collection, totaling 154 new books in several high-impact collections.  They include materials on religion, classical studies, history, and linguistic studies.  All are full text and fully searchable, and all can be downloaded in PDF so you can read them at your leisure – on campus or at home!

 The eight subject areas covered are:

 Asian Studies eBook Collection 2013 (6 titles)

Biblical Studies, Ancient Near East and Early Christianity eBook Collection 2013 (28 titles)

Classical Studies eBook Collection 2013 (10 titles)

European History and Culture eBook Collection 2013 (57 titles)

Language and Linguistics eBook Collection 2013 (4 titles)

Middle East and Islamic Studies eBook Collection 2013 (9 titles)

Religious Studies, Theology and Philosophy eBook Collection 2013 (24 titles)

Social Sciences eBook Collection 2013 (16 titles)

 Check them out today – you won’t even need to come into the library to use them!

Researching American Indian History? The library has some great primary and secondary resources to help you in your quest! If you’re new to the subject and need an overview of some possible topics, American Indian History Online is a great place to start. From the database homepage, click “Events and Topics” to explore overviews of themes such as American Indians in the American Revolution (see “Wars and Rebellions”) or employment and labor in the ancient Americas (see “Economics, Trade, and Labor”). This database provides you with an encyclopedic overview of a variety of topics, biographies of prominent individuals, images, maps, and some supplementary primary sources.

Once you have a basic understanding of your chosen topic, try exploring secondary resources with databases like America: History & Life (EBSCO). Type some simple keywords into the search box and check out your limiting options below the search box: search within a specific historical period or choose to only search peer reviewed articles. And because it’s an EBSCO database, you can even expand your selections by searching multiple databases at the same time. Click the “Choose Databases” link above the search bar and check a few other databases to search simultaneously. Try “Academic Search Premier” or “Newspaper Source.”

Finally, for the most exciting part of a history paper – exploring primary sources! Alexander Street Press has some fabulous primary source databases covering a variety of topics, including Early Encounters in North America. From the homepage, you can choose to browse the plethora of sources by place names, cultural events, names of peoples, environment, and more. Writing a paper on the importance of the tobacco crop in America? Browse sources about tobacco under the list of “flora.” You can also perform simple and more advances searches in this database. Type in your keywords and limit your search by publication year, subject headings, or document type (letters, reports, narratives).

If you get stuck in your research, it’s important to remember that you’re not alone! The library is here to help you, so please stop by Hayes 140, call our reference librarian at 765-973-8297, or email iueref@iue.edu for research assistance. We’re always happy to help, whether you don’t know where to begin or you just can’t find that one last article for your paper…just ask!

Think about a book you read recently that you enjoyed.  As simple as that…reading a book that gives you enjoyment.  Now think about people who know how to read, but do not. Perhaps they got out of the habit, or never developed the habit of reading for pleasure, or don’t have access, or any number of other reasons.  Now, YOU have an opportunity to change that. YOU can be part of a nation-wide reading advocacy project called “World Book Night.”  It occurs on April 23 but YOU have to act now.

 Please go to the World Book Night website by JANUARY 25 and apply to be a “book giver.”  You’ll be directed to select 3 books as your top choices to give, where you want to give them, and why.  On February 13 you are notified if you will receive the books and then the week of April 15^th you can pick them up at the IU East Campus Library. On April 23^rd you distribute the books to your intended readers.

Each year, 25,000 passionate World Book Night U.S. volunteers personally hand out half a million free books. Their experiences are funny, moving, and often life-changing.  Here are some of their great stories from last year: World Book Night testimonials

 We hope to count YOU among the millions of book givers on April 23^rd.  The Library and Center for Service Learning at IU East are proud to support this nationwide advocacy for reading and we are optimistic that the IU East students, staff and faculty will distribute at least 1,000 books in our community. So tell your friends and colleagues to apply to be a book giver by Jan. 25^th. Thank you, and Happy Reading!

 Questions?  iueastsl@iue.edu

Welcome to Spring 2013! The library has many resources and services useful in helping you succeed in your academic career. Read on to find out how these library club scholarship winners benefit from using our Campus Library..and how you can too!

“…there are worlds, realms, characters, creatures, and individuals contained in their bound margins, whose stories are bursting at the seams, waiting to begin …” ~ Chase Eversole

Even as technology has made accessing research materials easier, the library remains a vital part of my studies. Whether I’m accessing the databases at home or thumbing through a book when I’m on campus, I’ve come to respect and appreciate the resources I’m given as a student. Having the ability to find virtually any book I need, either through the physical library or through inter-library loan, is something I treasure. In most cases, I’ve discovered there is not a single thing I cannot acquire from the library, be it a large body of work or the final fragment of information I need to wrap up a project. The library is the perfect environment for me to get things accomplished. Being surrounded by knowledge gives me the frame of mind and the encouragement I need to learn and apply what I’ve learned in a variety of contexts. Perhaps my favorite part of the library is the environment: There are minimal distractions. The sounds are hushed, so there are few things to break your concentration. As a writer, there is no better place to perfect your craft than the library. You are surrounded by the greats who inspire you, and, in the silence, they speak to you: “Keep going.” In these large spaces that are traditionally quiet, there are worlds, realms, characters, creatures, and individuals contained in their bound margins, whose stories are bursting at the seams, waiting to begin and end once more.

The library helps me accomplish my academic goals by providing help with research and providing a quiet place to study. ~ Danielle Johnson

The library helps me accomplish my academic goals by providing help with research and even more ways to keep myself organized and on track with my schoolwork. Whether it be help with my homework, or just having a computer to print from, the library is a necessity to my good grades and even my social life. I’ve spent more time in the library than I ever thought I would when I first started at IU, but it has helped a lot! For example, if I need a quiet place to study, that’s where I go. If I need some help with my research papers that’s where I go. If I need to meet with some friends to organize a project, that’s where I go. It’s a safe haven where I can go if I need to. It’s nice that I live close to campus, but I use the library after classes for working on papers, assignments or projects instead of completing them at home because I can so easily get distracted. Lots of my professors encourage us to go to the library and since the first time, I’ve gone back almost every week! I’m so glad that IU East has a library on campus where I can research or order books from other campuses!

The Library’s large selection of foreign language films helps improve language skills outside the classroom setting. ~ Thomisa Tudor

My primary academic goals are to graduate from Indiana University East with High Distinction and a minor in Spanish. A secondary academic goal of mine is to become fluent in Spanish. Indiana University East’s Library is helping me to achieve these goals through the resources and services it offers. Since enrolling in my first Spanish course at Indiana University East two years ago, I have regularly taken advantage of the Campus Library’s large selection of foreign language films. I check out at least four films each semester in order to complete my listening portfolio. Viewing these films provides me with the opportunity to further acclimate myself with the Spanish language outside of the classroom setting.

Besides borrowing the library’s foreign language films, every semester I utilize the library databases of scholarly articles to compose papers for my courses. This semester, I researched the historical role of women in American theatre. I even acquired two books on this topic from another campus through Interlibrary Loan with the help of Reference Coordinator Matt Dilworth. Perhaps the most underrated resource of the Campus Library is its staff. Earlier this year, Mandi Moning kindly printed copies of the Hispanic and Francophone film series lists for me so I could select films to view for my listening portfolio. The Campus Library employees have always been extremely accommodating when I have needed their assistance in locating materials. Without them, I might still be wandering through the stacks!

“The library …provides a great place for me to focus.” ~ Megan Winn

The library helps me accomplish my academic goals because it provides a great place for me to focus. I am a very high-energy and fun loving person, so trying to focus in the Graf or anywhere else on campus is really hard because I get distracted so easily. I am in the library at least 3 times a week at one of the very back student “cubby holes” (as I like to call them). I literally get back there and will be able to get so much more work done than any other place. I like it because it is kind of like my own little secret homework spot. This semester it has really helped me because I took 19 credit hours and was working 2 part time jobs. So instead of studying at home, where I would be tempted to sleep, I would go to the library and feel a whole new wave of energy come over me and I would become extremely productive in the hours that I was there.

Christmas 1776 found the Continental army at its lowest point.  After losing New York, the American Revolutionary army had fled across New Jersey and into Pennsylvania.  They were underfed and ill-equipped, and had proven vastly inferior to British troops in almost every way.  Washington himself wrote “I think the game is pretty near up.”

 That evening, General George Washington led his famous crossing, taking men across the Delaware river to attack the Hessian fortification in Trenton, New Jersey.  This involved a nine mile march through freezing cold (some soldiers didn’t even have boots).  The battle was a complete success, eliminating the garrison, capturing valuable supplies and cannons, and proving that American soldiers could actually defeat regular army troops.  The battle was so successful that more American casualties fell to the elements than to enemy fire.

 But even this well documented history is rife with misinformation and legend.  The Hessians were drunk (they weren’t).  The attack was in darkness (that was the plan but it was well after dawn).  No Americans died or were injured (there were a few casualties, including future President James Monroe).  Even Leutze’s famous painting above depicts a flag that wasn’t yet designed. 

 So how can you cull fact from legend?  There are lots of good sources for information on this pivotal Christmas in history.  You might start with an encyclopedia source, such as Britannica.  You might try reading journal articles in our major databases.  These can include information on facets of that Christmas not covered in general works, such as Contemporaneous Account of the Battle of Trenton or Colonel Rall at Trenton. 

 And for in-depth coverage, you might turn to our extensive book collection.  These include ebooks like Guide to the Battles of the American Revolution by Theodore Savas and Almost a Miracle : The American Victory in the War of Independence by John Ferling.  And our print collection is strong, as well, with titles like Battles of the Revolutionary War, 1775-1781 by W.J. Wood (E230 .W66 1990), Washington, the Indispensable Man by James Flexner (E312 .F556) and the Pulitzer Prize-winning 1776 by David McCullough (E208.M396 2005).

 And, of course, for more information, try one of our LibGuides on American history.  This Christmas is a good season to learn!