Introduction

Background on the Course

Classroom materials

Writing assignment sheets

Workshopping and workshop sheets

Sample materials grouped by instructor


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Authors & Contributors

The Library (McMahon)

Learning to use the library competently and efficiently will bring greater peace and calm to the process of research you will be going through for your argument essays. Exploring the library at this point in the semester gives you the opportunity to acquire research skills without the immediate pressure of finding sources for a current essay assignment. However, because simply staring at the MLA CD-ROM or the Government Documents section of the library will hardly give you concrete experience, I would like you to come to Friday's class meeting in the EIL with some kind of topic in mind. This topic can come from our class discussions, our readings, the "Thoughts of the Day," or your own area of interest. Please note: Your topic should be concerned, in some way, with our shared general topic of education. The topic you use to explore the various aspects of the library does not have to be a topic you later choose for an essay. But if you have already had thoughts about a specific controversial topic within the field of education that you might want to explore, this would be an excellent opportunity to get a head start on your research.

On Friday we will meet in the EIL (Electronic Information Lab), room 10, lower level, Morgan Library. I will ask all of you to do the CARL Tutorial and the "Walk-About Library Tour." You may then use the rest of the class period to begin the Library Assignment. This assignment is due Monday, 9/19.

Assignment #6: The Library
Search the following resources and sections of the library for information on your topic.
-CARL (search CSU and one other library)
-UnCover (this is another database on the CARL system)
-The Reader's Guide to Periodic Literature
-Government Documents
-One CD-ROM database (MLA is a good bet)

For each of these library resources, I would like you to answer the following questions:

  1. Name at least one source you found searching this resource.
  2. How helpful did you find this resource? Was it easy to use? How many sources did you find using it?
  3. What, if anything, did you find out about your topic by using this resource?