ENGL 3654W - African American Literature - Nwankwo

Finding Sources

Vanderbilt University Library Catalog

Selecting the best search scope for your research needs:

Library Catalog vs. VU Collections vs. Articles

Search Scope What is included? When should I use it?
Library Catalog
  • Broadest search scope
  • Results will include books and ebooks, articles, and media like DVDs
  • A great option when you are just beginning your research process.
  • Use Library Catalog when you want to survey the research landscape for your topic
VU Collections
  • Focuses on VU owned items, physical and digital
  • Results will include books and ebooks, and media like DVDs
  • Digital collections like the TV News Archive will also be included in your results
  • You have defined your information needs
  • Use VU Collections when you are ready to create a tailored search for your topic
Articles
  • Content from selected VU databases
  • Popular and scholarly articles
  • Use Articles to find popular and scholarly articles on your topic.
  • The Articles scope does not search across all databases accessible to the Vanderbilt community.
  • Not finding the articles you need or want more database options?

For a more detailed explanation of your search scope options consult What am I searching?

 

Searching the Library Catalog - Tips and Tricks

Keyword vs. Subject Searching

Step 1:  Start your search process by brainstorming a list of keywords that describe the main concepts of your topic or question.

Step 2:  Use these keywords for your initial searches.

Step 3:  Use the Subject Heading links in the Library Catalog record to refine your search.

Screen shot highlighting library of congress subject headings in catalog record for The Black Cultural Front.

Google Scholar

Google Scholar provides access to "peer-reviewed papers, theses, books, abstracts and articles, from academic publishers, professional societies, preprint repositories, universities and other scholarly organizations."

What Google Scholar does not contain, in most cases, is the fulltext of the articles -- but it does work with the library's Findit@VU service to help you get to the fulltext when available.  If you are on campus, Findit@VU will automatically appear -- but if you are off campus it won't.   Not clicking on Findit@VU may lead to you receiving a message indicating that you must purchase the article to view it. 

HathiTrust has created the Emergency Temporary Access Service (ETAS), which will allow Vanderbilt students, faculty, and staff online reading access to materials that Vanderbilt Libraries own in print during this period of remote teaching, learning, and research. Access is available until further notice. 

**The print editions of books made available through HathiTrust ETAS will not be available for check out for the duration of our participation in the service.

 

Connect to books in HathiTrust directly from the Library Catalog:

Screenshot - Links to HathiTrust Books in Library catalog Record.

Users need to click on the yellow Log in button and choose Vanderbilt University as their institution and then login with their VUnet ID and password to gain access.

Screenshot: Log in button to access electronic content in HathiTrust.

Click the "Temporary access" link in the record to access the ebook and don't forget to click the "Check Out" button!

Screen shot: HathiTrust temporary access link and ebook check out button.

 

 

Some caveats:

  • Not all print items available in our catalog are available in HathiTrust
  • HathiTrust is providing reading access to Temporary Access titles
    • The option to download the work in full is not available
    • You will be able to “check out” materials for a limited time (60 minutes)
      • There is an automatic renewal option available
  • Access to items is 1-1; 1 copy on the member library shelf, 1 individual access to the digital copy; 2 copies, 2 concurrent users of the digital item.
  • Print books made available in HathiTrust will not be allowed to circulate.
    • Please contact the library for assistance.