This document provides library research resources and guidance for first year English students writing papers on topics related to The Americas in Spring 2014. It introduces the librarian contacts, describes several databases for finding books, articles, and other materials, and gives tips for searching within different subject areas. Students are encouraged to use the catalog to find books in the stacks and lab computers to search article databases. The librarian offers to help students review, revise, and rehearse their research.

1. Library Research for
First Year English:
The Americas
Spring 2014
Professor Amanda Springs
Librarian Jenna Freedman

2. library.barnard.edu
portal to all knowledge.
resources specifically for YOU
http://library.barnard.edu/find-
books/guides/ENGL/ENGLX1201001

3. library.barnard.edu/contact
library.barnard.edu/personal-librarians
• IM BarnardReference:
AOL, Google, Yahoo
• Text 386.227.6273 (386.BARNARD)
we can help you

4. research
the conversation among scholars

5. recontextualize & reframe
• Literary/critical
• Historical
• Theoretical

6. articles
• articles
• e-books
• dissertations
• statistics
• other materials
catalog
• books, e-
books, serials, media
materials, microforms, etc
.
• Truncation &
• Send to phone

7. Zotero
• Manages citations
• Screen captures
• Pdfs
• Metadata
• Generates bibliographies, most citation styles
• Word processing plug-in
• Sync
• Groups

8. Literary, critical,
or close reading
• Include name of text or
author in search
• Add terms to explore an
aspect of the text that
interests you
• E.g., characters, themes,
places, etc.
8
Image from ManageWP blog post by Tom Ewer

9. Historical
• Include words or phrases
important to historical
context
– date-specific (19th or
nineteenth century)
– Geographical (england)
– Topical term (wom*)
• Do not include text title or
author
9
Image from Wikimedia Commons
Joseon Chest

10. Theoretical
• Include words or phrases
related to your theorist or
lens
– Select discipline specific
databases (e.g., gender
studies, philosophy, psychol
ogy, etc.)
– Use theorist's name or
philosophy in search term in
interdisciplinary database
– Consider reference sources
• You may or may not include
text title or author
10
Cover from editor's webpage.

11. read
stacks
Use CLIO (catalog) to find the call number for a book that interests you and
find it in the stacks
• A-M 3rd floor
• N-Z 2nd floor
lab
Conduct articles searches, using Find Articles, or one of the individual
databases recommended on the guide.

12. review
What did you find?
Is it worth using?
• Relevance
• Authority
• Time
• Scope
• Audience

13. Help me review, revise & rehearse...
feedback form