There has been a paradigm shift in academic libraries over the last two decades. Moving from book-centered spaces to learning-centered spaces, libraries provide a suite of services and resources in response to the new ways in which users consume information today. This chapter will help familiarize you with some of the ways Reed Library can support your graduate work.

Essential Services & Resources

Did you know that library anxiety is a real and prevalent problem among students, including graduate students? To put it simply, library anxiety is the fear of physical library spaces and resources, which can often be seen as overwhelming and confusing. A couple of common symptoms of library anxiety include the fear of approaching a librarian to ask for help, and feeling paralyzed when trying to start library research.

It is important to know that despite any fears you may hold, you are not alone. Technologies, tools, and processes change quickly, and everyone is coming in with different levels of experience. You are not expected to know everything. It is the job of the librarian to provide support and help you navigate these spaces, resources, and tools. If you take anything away from this chapter, please remember that we are here to help.

As a graduate student, there is a lot the library can offer to help you succeed. Unfortunately, graduate students are sometimes unaware of these services and resources until they are nearing the end of their academic programs.

Questions or concerns can also be sent to reedref@fredonia.edu. Please do not hesitate to ask us questions! Additionally, there are also many other ways to get assistance. Here are a few:

• Chat live with a librarian 24/7
• Call: 716-673-3222
• Text: 716-407-7698
• Schedule an individual research appointment (in person or via Zoom)

For the most up-to-date information on library hours, please visit our homepage: fredonia.edu/library

Library Discovery Tools

Libraries provide access to an array of materials such as books and e-books; online indexes and databases; dissertations and theses; DVDs and CDs; musical scores, journals, magazines, and newspapers. At Reed Library, we even have an impressive collection of vinyl! Traditionally, libraries depended on a finding tool called the library catalog, which told you what materials the library owned and where those materials were located. Catalogs contain basic information about each item including author, title, and publisher, as well as its location and call number. Library discovery tools take searching to the next level, helping researchers find a wider range of resources beyond the items the library owns.

ReedSearch

Our library discovery tool is called ReedSearch, which is prominently featured on the Reed Library homepage. ReedSearch incorporates not only the traditional functions of a library catalog (helping you identify and find what we own), but also searches:

• Articles from some of the library’s online indexes
• Research guides and other digital content from the library
• Open access web resources such as books from Project Gutenberg
• Other items that the library doesn’t have direct access to, but which you can request through Interlibrary Loan (see below)
• And more.

ReedSearch has a lot useful features to help you find what you need. For starters, material types are labeled in your results list so you can instantly tell which items are books, which are music CDs or scores, maps, etc. Other helpful features allow you to cite sources you have found or put items you like in a list (just click the pushpin icon) and then email those results to yourself. You can also log in using your Fredonia eServices credentials to save your searches and specific items to your Favorites for future use.

Library Databases

If you look at Reed Library’s list of databases, you may feel overwhelmed and not sure where to start. The reason there are so many databases is that the scope of each database is specialized. To support the curriculum of various programs, libraries, including Reed Library, subscribe to multiple library databases to provide access to a range of materials.

To choose a database, you need to know what each library database provides access to, which is where our A-Z Database list comes in handy. Use the drop-down boxes on the A-Z Database page to filter to a specific subject area, database type (newspaper, video, eBook, etc.), and/or a specific vendor to help you identify an appropriate database to use. Each database has a description to give you some additional information about the scope of the content.

In the world of library databases, EBSCO, ProQuest, and Gale are the three big industry vendors. While databases purchased through the same vendor will have a similar interface, the type of content you can receive will differ. For example, ERIC Database is the most widely used index to educational-related literature, while Environment Complete provides information in the areas of environmental science, agriculture, etc.

The following chapter focuses more on information-seeking strategies. For now, keep in mind that selecting an appropriate database for your topic will greatly impact your search results, especially in terms of relevancy.

InterLibrary Loan

There may come a time when you identify a book or article that you need for your research purposes that Reed Library does not own. Do not give up! Today, libraries are connected through vast networks with the ability to share all sorts of resources. Through a service called InterLibrary Loan, (ILL) what is available to you is expanded exponentially.

We recommend setting up your account early to take advantage of this free service as soon as you need it. Take a moment to set up your account by following these steps:

1. Set up an account using your Fredonia eServices username and password: https://fredonia.illiad.oclc.org/illiad/logon.html.
2. Once your ILLiad account is established you can start requesting items not available in Reed Library’s collections.
   • You can manually submit a new request by selecting one of the options from the “New Requests” drop-down menu:
     
   • You can also auto-populate a request while searching through Reed Libary’s databases. If you come across the “Get It” link while searching, for example, Practice in TESOL (2022), you can click to open the full record, sign into your account, and make the request.
3.  Access your requested materials
   • Please allow 7-10 days for processing book requests and 3-6 days for article requests, depending on the time of year and item availability.
   • Journal articles will be delivered to you electronically using your campus email account.
   • Books and other materials, such as videos, scores, DVDs, CDs, or microfilm will be available for you to pick up at the library’s circulation desk.

For more information visit fredonia.libguides.com/library/interlibrary_loan.
Questions about ILL? Call 716-673-3184 or email library.loan@fredonia.edu.