Research Strategy for Non VU-Affiliated Library Patrons

Books

Use GALILEO, our online catalog, to find books on a particular subject, or whose author and/or title you know. Follow the easy on-screen instructions and use the examples given for guides. To locate the books in our library, note the location (ASRS, Government Documents, Media, Reference Area, Stacks), find the first letter of the call number of the book on a map of the library, and go to that area of the Christopher Center. Books may not be checked out unless you have a VU identification card or a VU Affiliated Borrower's Library Card.

The Christopher Center uses the Library of Congress (LC) system to organize its materials. This differs from the system used by most school and public libraries (the Dewey Decimal system). If you'd like to know more about the LC system, look at the user guide, Call Numbers: How to Find Library Materials.

Journal, Magazine, and Newspaper Articles

Print Indexes
Use the print indexes in the Reference Area to locate journal, magazine, and newspaper articles. Specific indexes for The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal [on microfilm] are located in the Reference Area or the Automated Storage & Retrieval System (ASRS). Then use the journal or magazine title to check in GALILEO to see if VU owns the print copy of the journal or magazine. One print index to get started with is:
The Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature AI3 .R48 Location: CLR-Reference-2nd Floor

Electronic Indexes
If you are accessing this page through an Indiana Internet service provider, go to the INSPIRE site (http://www.inspire.net) to learn more about Indiana Libraries On-Line, a collection of electronic databases and other resources, brought free to the citizens of Indiana and sponsored by various state library coalitions and the Indiana General Assembly.

You may search the INSPIRE Databases from specific computer terminals located in the Reference Area. There are limited "Guest Services" resources available on the computer terminals; please ask at the Reference Desk for login access. More details are available on the Guest Policies webpage. If a Valparaiso student, faculty, or staff member needs to use the terminal you are on, you will be asked to end your searching session.

Government Documents

You also have access to the United States and Indiana State government documents that are collected by the Christopher Center in print and microform formats. Search GALILEO for the call numbers/location of the materials. For further information, refer to the Government Documents handout and/or ask a library staff member for assistance.

The Christopher Center's Government Information webpage provides a well-categorized, extensive listing of local, state, national, and international resources found on the Internet.

Other Resources

In addition to using encyclopedias and other reference materials to gain background information on your topic, use reference resources for topic ideas, general overviews of your topic, and as sources for specific information.

Library Research Strategy: An Introduction

What is the topic you are interested in? _____________________________________________________________________

What other terms also describe your subject? ________________________________________________________________

Use these terms for Keyword searches in GALILEO.

Finding Books

Find one useful reference book for background information. Tip: the location should say "CLR-Reference-2nd Floor."

Title and author: __________________________________________________________________

Call Number: ________________________________________________________________________

Find one useful book on this subject. Tip: the location should say "CLR-Stacks-Floors 3 & 4."

Title and author: ___________________________________________________________________

Call Number: _________________________________________________________________________

Use a library map to locate these items within Christopher Center.

Finding Journal and Magazine Articles

Print and electronic indexes, found in the Reference Area, are used for finding journal and magazine articles.
Tip: Use keywords that you've listed at the top of this strategy page.

Article Citation:
A citation is the full bibliographic information about the article. This information helps you find the article in a periodical in the library. The citation includes author, article title, periodical title, volume and issue numbers, and page numbers.

Article author: _______________________________________________________________________

Article title: _________________________________________________________________________

Journal/Magazine title: ________________________________________________________________

Volume # __________ Issue # ____________ Date _________________ Page #s _________

Do the Valparaiso University Libraries have this journal/magazine? __________

Tip: Look in GALILEO for the journal/magazine title. Once you find it, check to see if the library has the volume and issue that you need. If you cannot find the title of the journal/magazine in GALILEO, it might be available through a full-text index. Ask at the Reference Desk for further assistance.

Where in Valparaiso University Libraries is it located? (Christopher Center or Law, in the Stacks, Reference, Documents, Reserve, and so on)
Location: ___________________________ Call Number: _______________________________