Students, are you finding enough good information for your research projects? Or is there one stubborn research topic that just won't come up with good search results? If you are stuck on a topic-- or even just need one more piece of information to complete your research -- reference librarians are here to help you. We are experts at finding information that is solid and authoritative, just as is required for most class projects. There are many ways to reach the reference librarians -- in the computer area on the main floor of the library; online through chat or email; and through texting (better for short questions). You can even make an appointment to meet for one hour with a librarian to focus on your research needs -- this is called a research consultation. All of the ways to reach us are available through this link: http://www.library.uni.edu/ask-us-research-help. We hope to see you soon!

Several people have asked how to get to Google Scholar, which is a popular resource for finding scholarly materials.  There are three ways to search Google Scholar from the Rod Library website. 

1) Click on Databases A-Z, scroll down to Google Scholar, and click on those words.  This method is an easy way to get to Google Scholar's Advanced Search features (to be able to specify title, author, etc.).  Click on the Advanced Scholar Search link to find the many search options available.

2) Google Scholar is listed in the dropdown menu in the Articles tab on the Library home page.  Select Google Scholar from the dropdown, type your search in the box, and click Go.

3) The Known Article/Journal Title Search page also has a box for searching Google Scholar, near the bottom of the page.

The benefit of entering Google Scholar from the library home page is that the results will often display a Find It@UNI link that may lead to full-text online content available to the UNI community.

If you have questions on how to use Google Scholar effectively, please click on the Ask Us! link to find many ways to contact reference librarians.

We have unveiled a new look in the Articles tab on the Rod Library home page.  The names of several links have changed.  The link that was called "Advanced Search (Panther Prowler)" is now Subjects A-Z (Panther Prowler).  The link that formerly said "View a list of databases A-Z" has been shortened to Databases A-Z.  The link that said "Find a journal or locate a known article" is now Known Article/Journal Search.

Another big change with the Articles tab is that the default search box now has a dropdown menu rather than searching just one database.  The dropdown menu includes broad subject categories from Panther Prowler, and also two individual resources: Academic OneFile and Google Scholar.  Those two resources are both also listed in the Databases A-Z list.

We made these changes to make it easier to find a wider variety of searches to try when looking for information.  Anybody who has questions or needs assistance is invited to click the Ask Us! link and to contact reference librarians or staff through one of the methods listed.

In February 2007 Rod Library invited people across the university community to participate in a user assessment survey (LibQUAL+). Many of you responded, and a library committee has been using the results to find out which resources and services are most important to you. We have set up a website to report the results to you. Currently, you can find information on the survey itself, and demographics of participants. We will be adding more information in the coming weeks.