RESEARCH RULES

H O W TO N

A V I GA T E T

H R O U G H TH E R

E S E A R C H

M A Z E

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TABLE OF CONTENTSSections of a

library………………………………………………………………………..Slide #4

How to use OPAC, the Beaumont library catalog……………………………….Slide #5, 6

How to find a biography…………………………………………………………...........Slides #7

Find a biography online………………………………………………………………… .Slide #8

Using the public library catalog……………………………………………………….Slide #6

How to find a journal article...................................................................................................Slide #18

OhioLINK……………………………………………………………………………………….. Slides #19, 20

Boolean searches………………………………………………………………...............Slide #21

List of local libraries (Phone numbers, web sites)……………………………Slide #22

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ABOUT BEAUMONT LIBRARYThe Beaumont library has many books of criticism and

commentary on the authors you will study during your four years at Beaumont.The library can boast of many scholarly biographies as well.

Save time and steps…try the Beaumont library first.!

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NEED A BOOK?

• Books in many subject areas: Biblical research, dictionaries, thesauri, science, art, literature, history

• Scientists, writers, poets, actors, musicians, dancers, politicians, peace-makers, saints, activists…

• Religion, math, science, economics, sociology, art, literary criticism, history, sports, mythology, education, medicine….

• YA literature,• Contemporary novels• Modern literature• Classic novels

Fiction Nonfiction

ReferenceBiography

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OPAC OPAC refers to the “online public access catalog “at

Beaumont. One can find out which books Beaumont Library owns by clicking on the “OPAC” icon, which is on the desktop of EVERY COMPUTER AT BEAUMONT.

If you are looking for a biography of, or literary criticism about an author, type your author’s name (last name first) in the OPAC search bar; then click on “SUBJECT.” Remember, the author is the subject of your research. If you want books written by the author whom you have chosen, type the last name of the author and click on “author.” The list of books by your author will appear. Choose the book you are using for your paper.

OPAC is outrageously effective. Access it from any Beaumont computer.

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Subject SearchEnter author’s last name first, then first name; use drop down to select SUBJECT. This will result in a list of books about the author.

Author SearchEnter author’s name, last name first. Use drop down to select AUTHOR. This will result in a list of titles by the author.

SEARCH A LIBRARY’S CATALOG

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Title Search Enter the title of the book, omitting the words “A,” “An,” or “The” when these words appear first in the title. Drop down to select TITLE.

SEARCH OPAC – OR ANY LIBRARY’S CATALOG

NEED A BIOGRAPHY? Biographies are shelved alphabetically according to the

biographee’s last name. For example, a book about John Adams will be shelved

before a book about George Washington. The biographee is the person about whom the book is

written. Look for the letter “B” (meaning biography) on the spine

label of the book. Sometimes , in public libraries, the numeral 92 is used in place of “B”.

The first three letters of the biographee’s last name will appear under the “B”.

The following spine label should be read as

ADA---book about John Adams B -- biographyMCC -- author is David

McCullough

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USING NCEMC.ORG TO FIND A BIOGRAPHY ONLINE

Go to Beaumont’s Public Web Site (If accessing from school, click on “public web site” on right

hand side of screen).Click on “Students” on left hand side of screen.Click on “Library” on left hand side of next screen.Click on “Subscription Databases.”Open up NCEMC. (User name and password can be found on Edline.)Click on “Biography Resource Center.”Enter subject’s first and last name.

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LET’S GO TO

THE LIB

RARY

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Cleveland Public Library Reading Room

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New York Public Library

PUBLIC LIBRARIES

The reason that public libraries can lay claim to larger collections is because public libraries are supported by state funds and taxpayer dollars, thereby receiving more money for books than school libraries.

Visit the web sites of different libraries to find books that Beaumont library might not have.

Libraries’ web sites are listed later in this presentation, on slide #22

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STEPS IN THE RESEARCH PROCESS Find several biographies about the person you are researching. Remember,

the biography section of your paper must have some depth -- do not include unimportant details. Examine the life of your author as if you were trying to understand them. What motivated them to write? What were the low points and/or highpoints of the author’s life? Who or what influenced their style?

In addition to monographs (regular hardbound books on one subject), use QUESTIA. Enter a boolean search (see slide #21): type “author’s name + biography” in the search bar.

Find primary resources (letters, speeches, diaries, essays written by the person, interviews ). You can include quotes from these sources in your paper.

Decide which of the author’s works you will analyze.

Find literary criticism on your author. Find commentary on the specific work.

Refer to your assignment for the requirements. Ask a librarian for help.

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The Cleveland Public Library Literature Department owns an extensive, comprehensive collection that represents hundreds of authors and much literary criticism. Call 216-623-2881.

Make sure you have a library card!!!!

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Infohio, a group of many databases, will help you with assignments in all subject areas. See the next slide for

how to access one of them.

JOURNAL ARTICLESFIND A PERIODICAL (NEWSPAPER OR JOURNAL) ARTICLE!Go to Beaumont School’s public home page. Click on “Student Life.”Click on “Library.”Click on “Subscription Databases.”Click on “Infohio” box. (“Infohio is printed in red block letters on

right.)Click on “Resources for Grades 9-12.” Click on “EBSCO Host” in left

hand column.For user name and password, find “Research Rules” on Edline. Click on “EBSCO Host, All Databases” box.An alphabetical list of databases will appear. Among the databases

that will help you are “Academic Search Premier,” “MasterFile Premier,” and “Newspaper Source.”

Click on one of these (all three might have information) and enter your author’s name in the “FIND” box. The database “Academic Search Premier” is probably the first one you should search.

View the list of articles that appear. The articles that will appear in their entirety are those articles that

have “HTML Full Text” or “PDF” underneath the summary. Open each article and see if it will apply to your research.

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OHIOLINK

OhioLINK is a library catalog reflecting a consortium of many colleges and universities in

Ohio. Quite often, these libraries own books that you cannot find anywhere else. You must

have a library card from the Cuyahoga County Library System in order to have books sent through OhioLINK to a local county library.

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How to Access OhioLINK from an outside computerGo to: www.beaumontschool.org. Click on “Students” (left hand side of screen).Click on “Library.” (left hand side of screen).Click on “Other Library Access.”Click on “University and Government Libraries.”“OhioLINK” will appear near the bottom of the list on the screen. Click on it. The next screen will be the OhioLINK home page. Enter the title or author you are looking for. For example, if you need literary criticism on John Keats, enter “Keats, John + criticism” in the search bar. If you simply want to find books by your author, enter the author’s name (last name first followed by a comma, then first name).When the list of books on your person or subject comes up, click on “REQUEST” for any book you wish to acquire.When you see the words “Please select your school or institution,” drop down to Cuyahoga Co PL (this stands for Cuyahoga County Public Library). Then click on “Submit.” The “Request Verification” page will come up. Enter your name and library card number. Then choose the location, or branch library where you would like to pick up the books. Then click the green icon “SUBMIT.”One can usually renew OhioLINK books several times. REMEMBER: If any books that you have ordered from OhioLINK are overdue, the fine is $.50 each day. 

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BOOLEAN SEARCHES

Often, entering your author’s name in a search bar is not enough.A boolean search consists of entering in a search bar the exact terms you are researching. This kind of search narrows your topic down so that you don’t receive a million hits. An example:

If you wish to find a book of the letters written by Jack London, enter the words “Jack London + letters,” or “Jack London and letters.”

Do you need diaries, speeches? Substitute the appropriate word after the “+” or the word “and.”

You can use boolean searches on the Internet as well as in the search bar of a library card catalog.

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QUICK LINKSCleveland Public Library

216-623-2881 (literature department) www.cpl.orgCuyahoga County Public Library

216-831-6868 (Beachwood branch) www.cuyahogalibrary.org216-475-5000 (Maple Heights branch)

Shaker Heights Public Library216-991-2030 www.shakerlibrary.org

Cleveland Heights Library216-932-3600 www.heightslibrary.org

Euclid Public Library216-261-5300 www.euclidlibrary.org

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REMEMBER QUESTIAQuestia will be a major database for you if you are a junior or

senior. You may obtain your user name and password from Mrs. Engstrom or Ms. Ketterer.

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Questia

SOME ONLINE RESOURCES

Biography Resource CenterGoogle BooksGoogle ScholarInfohioLiterature Resource CenterNorth Coast Educational Media Center (NCEMC.org)OhioLINKQuestia.com Yahoo Literature

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The End

The End

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