Right now researching is a little different but you can still get help from the library even if you're not on campus. Librarians are still answering phones, email, and instant chat and doing consultations over Zoom. We can get you the information you need so don't hesitate to contact us!
For more information on using the library from a distance, check out our Library Services guide at http://libguides.sdstate.edu/essential.
Librarians will be hosting drop-in help sessions on Zoom during Finals Week during the day. Got questions about searching and citing? Need to find a specific source? Hop on and get face-to-face help. Join the meeting here: https://sdstate.zoom.us/j/97805358621
Connect to our Subject Librarians directory to locate your favorite Public Services Librarian.
Library databases offer a more organized information access system than search engines like Google. Databases offer superior searching capabilities and make it easier to evalute sources. The table below identifies some of the strengths of library databases and search engines.
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Library Databases |
Search Engines |
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General Information |
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Looking up specific facts |
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Most up-to-date information on developing news |
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Numerous options to narrow or modify a search to find relevant information |
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Identifying source types (book, newspaper, journal, etc.) |
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Finding up-to-date scholarly information |
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Identifying authors/creators and their qualifications |
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Identifying edited and reviewed sources |
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Identifying purpose of a source (informative, persuasive, commercial, etc.) |
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Providing an open forum for expressing opinions |
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Search engines like Google work for some purposes, but for academic research you will want to use library resources.
NEIU Ron Williams Library
On the library's home page use the Quick Search tab to access PRIMO discovery service. Quick Search searches the library's catalog and a number of the library's databases simultaneously.
The Searching for Information pages on this guide cover additional searching options.
