Getting Started Virtually
- Access databases, journals and e-books online using your VUnet ID & password
- Work directly with a librarian subject specialist
- Email frank.lester@vanderbilt.edu for in-depth research help
- Schedule a virtual appointment with me at your convenience!
- I have office hours every week. Check my profile box for details!
Getting Started
Remote Library Resources & Resources
As a Vanderbilt student you can:
- get help with your research assignments by using Ask a Librarian.
- borrow books and other items from any of the campus libraries (except Special Collections).
- return most items you check out to any library.
- find book drops outside the libraries and at the Commons Center.
Image Courtesy of CNN Money.
- Oxford African American Studies Center This link opens in a new windowArticles primary source documents, images, maps, charts, tables, and government documents from five Oxford University Press encyclopedias and reference sources. Also includes The African American National Biography.
- Oxford Bibliographies This link opens in a new windowLiterary guide to significant sources on a variety of subjects. Works as an annotated bibliography and a high-level encyclopedia.
- Cambridge Histories Online This link opens in a new windowCambridge Histories covering American, British, economic, regional, and general history, language and linguistics, philosophy, religious studies, theatre studies and performing arts, etc.
- Very Short Introductions (Oxford)Concise overviews of hundreds of diverse topics from the abstract (Knowledge) to the concrete (Coral Reefs), written by experts in the field who combine facts, analysis, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make challenging topics highly readable.
- Gale Literature: Book Review Index This link opens in a new windowComprehensive guide to book reviews: cites or links to full-text reviews.
- Historical Abstracts This link opens in a new windowIndex of academic historical journals on the history of the world (excluding the United States and Canada) from 1450 to the present, including world history, military history, women's history, history of education, etc.
- JSTOR This link opens in a new windowLarge and important archive for academic journals, books, and primary sources in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences. Many journals do not have current issues.
- MLA International Bibliography This link opens in a new windowSubject indexing of journals, books, proceedings, and dissertations in the areas of literature, language and linguistics, folklore, film, literary theory & criticism, dramatic arts, and the historical aspects of printing and publishing.
- ProQuest This link opens in a new windowSearch all ProQuest databases simultaneously. Includes arts, humanities, social sciences, news, and science and technology.
Welcome and Quick Links
Congratulations on joining the Vanderbilt community -- and welcome to the Vanderbilt Library system. Get oriented to the library by visiting our website using the quick-access buttons below.
There are seven libraries in the VU system, including the main library, which is called Central (see the map on the right). The other libraries on campus include Divinity, Peabody, Music, Walker (Management), Law, Science & Engineering, and Eskind Biomedical. We also have an amazing Special Collections department (part of which is the Vanderbilt TV Archive). Each of the libraries has its own hours and borrowing policies. Check the individual library's website for more details, or ask a member of the staff there.
Why Use Library Databases?
- Vanderbilt library subscribes to over 700 databases that index and organize "deep web" content.
- Google, Bing, Wikipedia, and other familiar sources capture anywhere between 1-4% of information on the Web.
- The so-called "deep web" will help you avoid the paywalls, pop-ups, and other obstacles that the open and paid web usually throw at you.
