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Sunday, March 12, 2017

Research Help at the Library



by Laurie Lyda  Rowan Public Library

For students of all education levels, research papers and projects are a routine and necessary exercise in developing critical thinking and writing skills. However, one of the hardest aspects of research-based writing is locating good sources, which are a necessity. This is where Rowan Public Library can be a huge benefit to students seeking research materials for everything from elementary and middle-school projects to high school and college-level research papers.
Often, students are just getting started, and they’re unsure of what they need. If you were given an assignment sheet, bring that with you to the library. A handy copy of the assignment ensures that any assistance you request truly helps you obtain the materials that you need. For example, students may ask staff to help them locate a source about treatments for opioid addiction, when the assignment actually calls for “a peer-reviewed, scholarly article about opioid addiction.”
Use the instructor’s given parameters to determine the purpose(s) of your assignment: Are you writing to inform, so looking for sources that provide foundational facts and information? Are you writing a call to action, so looking for sources that will motivate your audience? Are you writing an argument (and “argument” doesn’t always mean a pro/con approach) and seeking sources that allow you to prove a specific point to your audience? Or does your assignment have a combination of these purposes or an entirely different purpose?
While it’s good to begin a research project with a general subject in mind, like the issue of opioid addiction or the life of Jane Austen, be prepared for your final writing topic to shift as you delve into the research process – it can take some unexpected twists and turns! This often happens as students find information that disagrees with their originally intended thesis (the point their research paper is making): They then have to either revise their thesis or locate enough factual, verifiable information to support their point despite the research that challenges it.
Once you have your assignment and its parameters and a general subject in mind, it’s time to dive into the research process – and RPL’s holdings contain a treasure trove of materials. Whether you’re at a branch or working remotely, as long as you have an internet connection, you can access the RPL catalog. Visit RowanPublicLibrary.org and click on “Find Books.” This takes you to the catalog, and you may see a pop-up window requesting that you log in. If you don’t have that information handy, simply close the pop-up; however, if you do have your library card number and PIN and log in, then you can create lists of the resources you want to check out and also place items on hold. (If you don’t know your PIN, visit your nearest branch and ask a staff member for assistance.)
Placing items on hold is a wonderful convenience that makes locating materials so much easier. Rather than having to travel from branch to branch, when you place an item on hold, you select the pick-up location (Headquarters in Salisbury, East Branch in Rockwell, or South Rowan Regional in China Grove) that works best for you. Your item(s) will be sent to the chosen pick-up location, and you’ll receive a notification when they’ve arrived. So, if you live in Rockwell and need a book from Salisbury but don’t have the time to go get it, you can place that book “on hold.” The book will then be sent from Headquarters to East Branch, and when it’s ready for pick-up, you’ll be notified of its arrival. Pay attention to the return date that you’re given, though; items not picked up within the given timeframe are returned to their home branch, and you’ll have to put them on hold again.
After you’ve explored the catalog and located the books, Ebooks, and movies that might help with your research, head back to RPL’s home page and select “Online Tools.” This link takes you to a listing of the online resources that RPL patrons have free access to. There are many useful options here, and I always recommend that students familiarize themselves with NCLIVE. When you click on the NCLIVE link, you’ll be taken to a page where you can select the database that best fits your research needs. For example, Gale’s “Literature Resource Center” offers author backgrounds, timelines and contextual information, and literary analysis of specific works. Know that you’ll need your library card number and PIN to access these. Rowan-Salisbury Schools students can access these resources with their student ID and PIN. (For RSS students, the PIN is the last four numbers of the student ID.)
Students often begin their research using popular search engines and find promising articles only to hit a paywall that prevents public, free access to the article. Take note of the publication’s title, the article’s title, the publication date, and the author’s name, and then perform a search for that article through RPL’s online resources. Hopefully, you can find what you’re looking for there.
In addition to online databases, depending on the subject you’re researching, you might also explore the Edith M. Clark History Room’s page and even visit the History Room in person. Located on the second floor at Headquarters in Salisbury, its expansive collections are a boon for any researcher, particularly those interested in North Carolina history.
As your research progresses, it may take a bit of time to review your findings and decide what materials best meet your needs, so try to give yourself plenty of research time. Also be sure to keep track of your research. Keep an inventory of the articles you’re consulting, and always, always record the source information – you’ll need those details for the citations required by all research documentation styles.
Keep in mind that RPL has resources to help with every stage of a research-based assignment: All branches have areas where patrons can work, from study tables and carrels to computer labs, and Headquarters and South Rowan Regional offer small study rooms as well. In addition to research materials on an abundance of topics, RPL’s collection also includes writing and research guides, as well as documentation style guides. And if you need assistance with any part of your research process, ask a staff member – remember, many of us chose our careers because we love research!


Laurie Lyda
March 3, 2017

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