Effective Writing Center (EWC)

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Chapter 6: Using Library Resources

Accessing Library Resources

Doing research is frequently an integral part of the writing process. To be a good researcher, you must be able to locate, organize, evaluate, and communicate information. Libraries are a primary resource for conducting academic research. Learning how to use them and their resources effectively is important to understanding the research process.

Finding books and journal articles to compile a list of relevant materials used to be a matter of going to the library and using the card catalog in conjunction with print journal indexes. Today, libraries, and their methods for providing access to research information, have changed remarkably. Libraries provide access to information through print materials, electronic databases and catalogs, and Internet resources. Understanding how to select and use the appropriate resources for specific information needs is the key to successful research. To become adept at locating and using information for research, you must know about the many different resources available to you.

For example, you can now do more of your research from your home or office than ever before. The University System of Maryland (USM) libraries provide access to books through an online catalog and to articles through full text databases. Links to both the USM library catalog and to MdUSA, the USM library gateway to full text databases, are accessible from the Information and Library Services (ILS) Web page available at www.umuc.edu/library .

As a currently enrolled UMUC student, you can use the library catalog to place holds on books and have them delivered to any USM library, the Annapolis Center or Waldorf Center for Higher Education for pickup. In addition, you can access full-text articles on the Web and either print, download, or e-mail them to your desktop. To do so, you must have access to a computer, modem, communications package, and a Web browser. Further, if articles and book chapters you need are not available full text online, ILS will send them to you electronically.

This chapter will introduce the many electronic information resources and library services that are available to you. However, please remember to use the information with care. As a student, you are allowed to make a copy for your personal use, but you must keep in mind that you may not distribute the work to anyone else. The decision in the A&M Records vs. Napster, Inc., reaffirms that no one, other than the copyright owner, may distribute his or her work, including via the Internet, regardless of whether easy, technological means exist to do so.

In addition, most works, regardless of whether they include the copyright symbol, ©, on the work, are considered to be copyrighted under the law. Because almost all works are under some form of copyright protection, it is important to give credit to the creator of a work. Properly citing your sources is essential for purposes of academic integrity and to ensure you are in compliance with federal law. For additional information, see Academic Integrity and Documentation (Chapter 5 of this guide).

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