Library Basics and Resources
Review of Search Strategies and Developing a Topic
Finding Books
Hint: If you're off campus, you will need to get the GALILEO password, or log in through Anywhere Access, to get access to subscription resources, including GALILEO databases.
Quick searching:
- GIL-FIND@VSU Library Catalog—find books, videos, scores, and other items in Odum Library's catalog and easily narrow your results by format, author, language, course reserves, etc. Use Advanced Search for more complex searches combining keywords or subjects. To begin locating primary sources, you can narrow your keyword or subject search by adding the keyword "sources," "personal narratives," "letters," or "documents."
- GIL-Find Tutorial (video guide)
Advanced options for searching for books:
- Classic GIL@VSU Catalog—offers advanced searching in fields such as exact titles, subject headings, and locations such as Reference or 3rd Floor Shelves, etc. Choose the Keyword Search tab for advanced searches, and choose Exact Search to search for exact titles, authors' names, journal titles, etc.
- GIL Universal Catalog—expands the Odum GIL-Findl@VSU catalog to search for and request books from all University System of Georgia libraries.
- GIL Universal Catalog / GIL Express (guide)—how to request books from other USG libraries. You need to set up a Personal Identification Number (PIN) in order to request items from other USG libraries and to check your library account.
- eBooks—the box on the left hand side of the page has links to eBooks by Ebsco, ebrary, and Safari.
- WorldCat Catalog—searches multiple library catalogs from around the world to locate records for books, websites and internet resources, manuscripts, maps, computer programs, musical scores, films and slides, newspapers, journals and magazines, and sound recordings. You can also narrow a WorldCat search to locate just those items available at Odum Library.
Finding Academic Articles
Databases for searching for articles for U.S. History Research:
- America: History & Life (through EBSCO) Citations and some full text of articles in U.S. history.
- JSTOR Full text of scholarly articles in a variety of disciplines, including history
- Research Library (through ProQuest) Multidisciplinary articles including much full text
- Academic Search Complete (through EBSCO) Multidisciplinary articles including much full text
- LexisNexis Academic Full text of many law cases and other legal materials, business information, newspaper and magazine articles.
What is a peer-reviewed article? See this guide to "peer review". Using the online periodicals directory Ulrich's will help you confirm which journals are peer-reviewed.
Additional Resources:
Using InterLibrary Loan
Interlibrary Loan (ILL) allows you to request articles, books, and other materials from other libraries. You can use the ILLiad system by selecting the ILL - Odum Express link under the Main Menu on the Odum Library home page and logging in with your BlazeView username and password. You may request articles that should arrive in 2-5 days, or books within 2 weeks.
Dissertations & Theses
- ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Find abstracts and some full-text opening pages and, occasionally, entire dissertations
- OpenDOAR Many universities and research centers are creating open-access digital repositories of their own faculty work as well as dissertations completed by their students.
Reference Materials
You will find print reference sources for literature in both the main reference collection and the "reference alcove." Reference sources, especially multivolume subject encyclopedias and other reference books, can provide excellent background information and citations to other sources.
General online reference sources:
Primary Sources
Newspaper Resources
Guide to News Resources available through Odum Library - This online guide includes direct links to current and historical major newspapers through ProQuest Newspapers.
Electronic Holdings for Historic Newpapers and Periodicals:
Print and Microfilm Holdings for Newspapers in Odum Library:
Periodical Holdings in Odum Library This list includes our coverage for journals such as American Historical Review (also available online in JSTOR), and for magazines such as Harpers, Saturday Evening Post, Scribner's, in both microfilm and print.
Note:
- To check library holdings for a periodical, return to the Odum Library Homepage, select the Journals tab, and type the title of the periodical into the print and/or electronic text search boxes.
Other Newspapers in GALILEO, including Georgia Historic Newspapers 
Finding More Primary Sources:
- The VSU Archives collects primary historical research materials, with particular strength in the history of VSU and the surrounding South Georgia region.
- American Memory Project from the Library of Congress provides free Internet access to numerous documents, images, transcripts, and other materials on the history of the United States.
- Documenting the American South from the University of North Carolina includes many digitized primary sources for the study of the American South.
- National Women's History Project Resource Center Information about and resources for the study of U.S. women's history.
- Remember that in our GIL-Find and other GIL catalogs, locate diaries, letters, and similar primary sources by adding the word Sources, Documents, or Personal Narratives to your search.
Georgia Newspaper Project at the University of Georgia
Historic newspapers from within Georgia, some with full coverage in microfilm from late 1800s to the present
Using Sources Correctly
More Help from Odum Library
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