College Library Basics
College libraries are organized differently, have a greater variety of resources, and more specialist librarians than almost all of the libraries you've likely used before. Below are some links to helpful tutorials and guides to physically navigate this new library environment.
- Library Information for New StudentsThis guide has a useful set of FAQ's, list the specialty librarians by their specialty, describes some of the very useful technology and services we have, and links to other useful library resources. A good place for a quick overview.
- Introduction to Library ResearchThis guide will lead you through the various tools and strategies for general library research in the Baylor University Libraries. There's even a quiz you can take at the end to see how well you remembered what you learned. Excellent overview and can be completed at your own pace or as you need to know something.
- Focusing Your Research PaperYour faculty will expect you to have better written papers than those you wrote in high school. One big key to writing a great college paper is to stay focused on a more narrow topic than you start with. This guide will help you choose a topic you like, narrow it to an appropriate set of questions and claims, and get you started on how to find resources.
Welcome
Welcome to your first year at Baylor University. As a college student you'll find many expectations have changed from high school and this class is to help you navigate college-level research through the investigation of a specific topic, in this case, the 20th century novel.
This guide is designed to introduce you to some of the ways in which you'll be expected to develop new research habits or change old ones so as to be a more effective (and efficient) researcher in your college years. I'll be introducing you to some of the techniques as well as the tools of effective research.
I am the Librarian for the Honors College, the Department of English, the Department of History, and the Medical Humanities Program. I like to think of myself as a 37 year old (librarian) since I got my Masters in Library Science 37 years ago in 1978. I've seen lots of change in the way research is conducted and the tools we use for research and I'll put all of that knowledge and experience at your service as your librarian. My contact information is to the right, so please feel free to make an appointment with me, send me an email, or stop by my office to talk about your assignments and projects. I'll be glad to help you out.
