HIS 360: History Workshop: Methods and Practices

Researching in Libraries:

>indexing, cataloging

>locating, retrieving/accessing

>creating new knowledge by using and attributing sources ethically and legally

Consider: language variations used in...all of the above!

Consider: physical nature of the item to determine where search begins:

• Book/Monograph = Library Catalog to confirm holdings/obtain a description

• Periodical/Magazine/Journal/Newspaper Articles = print or online index, and/or online archive to discover publication contents, description and possibly the complete text

• Government Information = respective agency; depository library-catalog and/or government issued Monthly Catalog; government and commercially produced indexes and finding aids. Libraries vary in methods of catalog representation and physical organization.

Searching catalogs and indexes to find location & citation data:

• Library Catalog: Location: Ref Area
• E-Resources A-Z: look for the "R" -e.g., ANB, Oxford, Credo Reference

• Books: Library Catalog, WorldCat [EZ-Borrow if necessary; ILL=back-up]
• Articles: E-Resources A-Z and/or By Subject: History [ILL if necessary]

• Library Catalog: [EZ Borrow if necessary; ILL=back-up]
• WorldCat: [EZ Borrow if necessary; ILL=back-up]
• Library Subscription Indexes/Databases/Archives featuring historical materials which may be considered primary sources [ILL if necessary]:
  • Accessible Archives, 18th & 19th c. periodicals
  • Archives USA, a directory
  • The New York Times, 1851-2004
  • Nineteenth Century Masterfile/Poole's
  • PAIS Archive, 1915-1976
  • Reader's Guide Retrospective, 1890-1982

• Library Print Indexes/Abstracts:
  • Increasingly digitized-few remain at F&M
  • Located in the "Microforms Room" at Shadek-Fackenthal

Locating library materials using location & citation data:

Articles: by format, as indicated via "Journals-search our catalog of print and online journals"

• Current/Active subscription = Periodicals Room, 1st floor
• "Bound" = Ground floor, south
• Microform (film/fiche) = 1st floor, behind Ref Desk
• Full-Text, Digital = by library subscription, free if available

You are researching the moon landing in 1969, and need to find:

• a photo of the landing as it originally appeared in a newspaper
• a speech made on the floor of the Senate congratulating the astronauts
• a recent (2000-) tertiary source about NASA/the United States space program
• an interview with any one of the astronauts conducted shortly after the space voyage. The interview must have been published in a popular magazine ("Time," "Newsweek," "Life", etc.), and a print index must be used to locate the interview.

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