Posted on by libraryvoices

Two of Elliott’s favorite library website resources

I have been working at the library for a few years. I’d like to share a few research tools on the library website I’ve learned to use that have come in handy for me, and will hopefully be useful for you.

Tool #1: LexisNexis academic database (UW Restricted – requires NetID!)

“Extensive array of full-text news (newspapers, wire services, transcripts and newsletters), business literature, industry and company information, legal, biographical, and reference resources.”

LexisNexis is a great resource for information on an event, person, company, or general topic. For example, if I was writing a paper on the CIA and US military’s targeted killing program, and I wanted to look at news coverage, LexisNexis returns 999 hits from dozens of news sources. (To repeat the search, use keyword “CIA targeted killing” in the “Search the News” box located at the top left of the screen and select “Major World Publications” under Source Type.)

Or, if I wanted to research a public figure, I could use the “Research People” option to search recent news stories mentioning that person as well as biographical information.

LexisNexis is also an invaluable tool for conducting news analysis. Say you want to investigate the biases of a particular news source by comparing the way that news source covered particular events compared with other news sources. LexisNexis lets you do that quickly. So as an example, we can compare how the death of Hugo Chavez was covered by major world publications. I would use the “Search the News” feature, pick “Major World Publications” under “By Source Type.”

To compare two specific publications to each other, I would use the “By Source Title” box.

Here’s a shortcut to the library webpage with a link to LexisNexis on it. Before you click the link to LexisNexis, make sure you are signed in to off-campus access. (To sign in, click on the red box at the top right corner of the webpage and sign in with your UW NetID.)

www.lib.washington.edu/digitalregistry/list/article/equals/LexisNexis%20academic/

Tool #2: Media search by artist

Search our collection of films and music by actor, director, composer, etc.

As a student you have access to the media collections of all UW libraries. There are a lot of great films and music available, especially foreign films.

One thing that has come in pretty handy for me is the ability to search the media collection by artist – e.g. director, performer, or composer. Example: you enjoyed one of Samira Makhmalbaf’s films and you want to see what else we have that she directed (or was involved in making one way or another). Using the media search tool (found here: http://library.uwb.edu/media.html), you would select “Director” from the drop-down menu and then enter Samira Makhmalbaf’s name into the search box. We have four films she directed and/or wrote.

That’s all, folks. If you have further questions about these and other research resources available to you, don’t hesitate to contact one of our librarians who can be found at the north end of the Information Commons Desk on the first floor of the Campus Library. The number for the Reference Desk is 425.352.3146.

Posted on by libraryvoices

Groovy Study Rooms

The study rooms at the library are very popular with Cascadia and UWB students. With spectacular views of campus and great quiet  spaces for groups to collaborate, the study rooms are an increasingly valuable resource. Rooms fill up faster as the quarter winds down, so this is a DIY guide to reserving a room. Students are now able to do this from a computer or mobile device.

On the Campus Library homepage, click on the link for Study Room Reservations circled in red.homepage

You will arrive at a page where the room types, policies, and steps to reserve a room are explained in more detail. A complete list of study room policies can be found here.

study room

The bright green tab labeled “Reserve a space” (circled in red) will take you to a sign-in page, so don’t forget your UW Net ID and password! Once signed it, you can view the study room schedule. (At the bottom of this page is a “Switch to Mobile View” tab for those who prefer the convenience of reserving a room via their phone.)  Beige squares show available rooms, so find one that is open at the time you want and click on it. In the popup, fill in the amount of time you want the study room (up to 2 hours), the number of people in your group, and a public name for the reservation.

A few things to know about the groovy study rooms:

  • Rooms can be reserved up to 2 weeks in advance.
  • Make sure to be on time! If your group does not show up within 15 minutes, someone else can reserve the room.
  • Rooms can be reserved for up to 2 hours and you cannot have more than one room reservations at a time.
  • Study rooms are not soundproof: be cautious of your volume.
  • Before you leave, make sure everything is clean and tidy, and turn off equipment and lights.
  • Several rooms have boxes filled with scratch paper for your convenience.
  • Each room should have 2 Expo pens. If your room does not, feel free to come to the front desk on the first floor to get some. FYI: pens dry out fast, so press the cap firmly until you hear the “click” to ensure it is on tight!