Reference Point

5 Some patrons don't regularly go looking specifically for one of the most-used resources available through University Libraries. They usually stumble upon the 130 databases that the Libraries subscribe to while they're searching for information using the Libraries' "SmartSearch" tool. While sometimes they may be overlooked initially in the research process, these databases are the first things savvy people would notice if they suddenly were unavailable. These Library databases are electronic collections that index and provide full-text access to academic journal article content in individual subject areas, according to Timothy Peters, director of information services for Global Campus Library Services. Peters explains these are electronic collections of information that in the 1990s were stored on compact discs housed on the library bookshelves. Prior to that, something similar was available through print indexes. "The databases are nice because they collect article content electronically and make it available in one spot," he says. "They're not as expensive as purchasing the journals individually, they take up less space, and they're available to students 24/7." Current thinking The Libraries' SmartSearch is an interdisciplinary discovery tool that simultaneously searches most library materials, including journal articles, newspapers, books, videos and more, according to Peters. Students can narrow and refine their searches by focusing only on the Libraries' databases or searching by date, material type, subject area and journal title. Databases key to unlocking academic journals Reference librarians often help students determine which individual databases they should search to find the best information for their research. Some faculty members, such as Joseph Michael Sommers, strongly recommend their students start by searching specific databases. Sommers is an English faculty member who specializes in young adult literature, pop culture and comics. He says he recommends three databases – Modern Language Association International Bibliography (MLAIB), Project Muse and JSTOR – to search for information. "When I teach I always stress the quality of research. I want them to look for the best current thinking and information," says Sommers, who indicates he identifies such databases on each course syllabus. Having all this information readily and easily available is one example of how Sommers says the Libraries are moving forward with serving students of today. "The library, in my mind, is being very proactive in asking the question of 'How do students use the library'?" he says. "It has a dean who is very concerned with how students, as well as faculty, can be best served, and that speaks to the credit and exceptional quality of Park." By Dan Digmann

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