Tips

Distance Services Tips and Tricks

Hints for using Foley Library from off-campus

FRUSTRATION REDUCTION

  • Your research time is valuable! Ask for help early! Call the library at 1-800-498-5941 during library hours. You can also e-mail your request for help or use our reference chat service (see below)!
  • Get DSL or a faster internet connection service or make very good friends with someone who does (like your local library!). I know there are some of you who are "stuck" with dial-up service, but you will find it very frustrating and time-consuming.
  • We sometimes have trouble delivering documents to addresses on free e-mail services like Hotmail and Yahoo. We recommend using your Gonzaga e-mail account for library services instead.
  • Call or e-mail the IT Support Center for assistance with ZagMail, ZagWeb and especially if you experience difficulty logging into the library databases. Help desk hours (Pacific Time) are: Monday-Thursday 8am - 5:00pm; Friday 8am - 4:30pm; closed weekends and holidays. Helpdesk phone: 509-313-5550 / E-mail: helpdesk@gonzaga.edu

ONLINE LIBRARY TUTORIALS

USE PERIODICALS @ FOLEY. . .

. . .to see if Foley Library has access to a journal either online or in print.

This is a great time-saver! Use Periodicals @ Foley to see if the library has access to any journal article you need! Whether it’s from a list of references or if you are just having trouble linking to an article from one of our online databases.

Frequently, an article may not be available from one database, but it is conveniently online in another! Search by the journal title in Periodicals at Foley to see if it's accessible from another source.

ALWAYS CHECK Periodicals @ Foley before submitting an Interlibrary Loan request for any article.

There's a link to Periodicals at Foley on the library's homepage http://www.foley.gonzaga.edu/ and from within one of our article databases, look for the Full Text Options link.

RECOMMENDED DATABASES

  • Education – ERIC, Professional Development, PsycINFO, Psychology & Behavioral Sciences Collection, SocINDEX
  • Counselor Education - ERIC, PsycINFO, Psychology & Behavioral Sciences Collection, SocINDEX
  • General Topics - Academic Search Premier, ProQuest
  • Leadership – Business Search Premier, SocINDEX and databases related to your field.
  • Nursing – CINAHL, Cochrane Library, Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition, Medline

DATABASE SEARCHING TIPS

  • Brainstorm for keywords. Think of synonyms and related terms: intelligence, intellect, brain, aptitude, ability, understanding, etc.
  • Use the controlled vocabulary within a database. These are the subject headings or "descriptors" assigned to each article entered into a database, describing the content of the article. Each database has it’s own controlled vocabulary.
  • Sign up for My EbscoHost and save your searches to use again in any of the Ebsco databases.
  • Use the library’s Research Guides. Created by the library faculty, these guides recommend databases, websites and other resources for specific fields of study. You’ll find them on the lower left of the library’s homepage.

ABOUT THE ERIC DATABASE

The Education Resources Information Center (ERIC) database is one of the most popular on our website. It's useful to know the types of material that you will find in ERIC, especially since it may have an effect on how you access the information. There are three main types of documents:

  1. Articles from education journals will have an Accession Number in ERIC that starts with EJ. Gonzaga should have many of these journals, but for those we don't have, there's always interlibrary loan.
  2. ERIC Digests are detailed summaries of longer reports. You will see the term 'ERIC Digest' after the title of the document. Click on the title and you will have access to the full-text of the digest.
  3. "ERIC Documents" are published and unpublished studies, reports, books, etc. dealing with issues in education. Their Accession Numbers start with ED. Gonzaga has most of these documents on microfiche, although many of the newer ERIC Documents are available in full-text online. If you need an older one, we will scan up to 30 pages and send it to you electronically. NOTE: Longer ERIC documents may be available as books in our collection or elsewhere.

The ERIC database is also available directly online. Go to http://eric.ed.gov/. (Note: ILLiad links will not appear on the ERIC website.)

LIVE HELP - REFERENCE CHAT SERVICE

If you prefer online chat help we have that too! Choose from the following chat services:

IM a Librarian - This service is available when the library is open and connects to the Reference Desk using popular instant messaging services. Click on the "IM a Librarian" link on the Foley Library homepage.

24/7 CHAT HELP - So your study time happens after the library is closed? CHAT HELP is available 24/7 (except Christmas). Click the "24-7 Chat with a Librarian" link on the left side of the library home page. Librarians from several Jesuit Universities staff this online reference service to help you with your search strategy or direct you to a useful database. You may not connect to one of us from Gonzaga, but it will be someone who can help you any time of day or night!

OTHER HELPFUL SITES

GONZAGA'S WRITING LAB
On campus or online, GU's writing lab offers help for improving your writing, citing your resources and lots more.
ADULT STUDENT WEBSITE
This site isn't connected to Gonzaga in any way, but it provides useful information for adult students as well as information for those who teach adult students. http://www.adultstudent.com/
EVALUATING WEB SITES
"A Guide to Critical Thinking About What You See on the Web" - the creation of John R. Henderson, a reference librarian at the Ithaca College Library.

We really are here to help YOU!

Your time is valuable! Don't spend it worrying about how to use the library's resources!

Toll Free Number: 1-800-498-5941

Theresa Kappus / Distance Services Librarian / 509-313- 3820 / kappus@gonzaga.edu

Interlibrary Loan Office / 509-313- 6534 / ill@gonzaga.edu

Library Circulation Desk / 509-313-5803

Computer Help Desk /509-313-5550 / helpdesk@gonzaga.edu