The purpose of this course research guide is to acquaint you with some of the resources in the University Library and on the World Wide Web useful for your research. Should you have questions, stop by the Reference Desk on the first floor. You may also call the Reference Desk at (334) 229-4110 during the hours the Library is open.

Reference Sources

Sources in the Library's Reference Collection, the Reference area in Special Collections, and similar sources online can help you find brief factual information quickly. Be sure to browse the shelves near the sources listed below to find others.

Books

• Children's Literature Review
  Main Reference: PN 1009 .A1 C5139
• The Newbery and Caldecott Awards: A Guide to the Medal and Honor Books
  Main Reference: Z 1037 .A2 N472
• Children's Book Awards International: A Directory of Awards and Winners, from Inception through 1990
  Main Reference: Z 1037 .A2 S45 1992
• Choosing Books for Children: A Commonsense Guide
  Main Reference: Z 1037 .A1 H42 1999
• ALA's Guide to Best Reading
  Main Reference: Z 1035 .A1 A43
• Best Books for Young Adults
  Main Reference: Z 1037 .C37 2000
• Writers for Young Adults
  Main Reference: PS 490 .W75 1997
• Teen Genreflecting
  Main Reference: Z 1232 .H47 1997
• What do Young Adults Read Next?: A Reader's Guide to Fiction for Young Adults
  Main Reference: Z 1037 .S7575 1997
• The 100 Most Popular Young Adult Authors: Biographical Sketches and Bibliographies
  Main Reference: PS 490 .D74 1996
• Writers of Multicultural Fiction for Young Adults: A Bio-critical Sourcebook
  Main Reference: PS 374 .Y57 W75 1996
• Cultures Outside the United States in Fiction: A Guide to 2,875 Books for Librarians and Teachers, K-9
  Main Reference: Z 1037 .A5 1994
• Myths and Hero Tales: A Cross-cultural Guide to Literature for Children and Young Adults
  Main Reference: BL 313 .H45 1997
• Black Authors and Illustrators of Books for Children and Young Adults: A Biographical Dictionary
  Special Collections Reference: Z 1037 .R63 1999
• American Indian Reference and Resource Books for Children and Young Adults
  Main Reference: Z 1209.2 .N67 K84 1995
• Lesbian and Gay Voices: An Annotated Bibliography and Guide to Literature for Children and Young Adults
  Main Reference: Z 1037 .D39 2000

Databases

• Biography and Genealogy Master Index (ASU)
• Contemporary Authors (ASU) (AVL)
• Literature Resource Center (ASU) (AVL)
• Scribner Writers Series (ASU) (AVL)
• NoveList (ASU) (AVL)

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The best method for finding periodical articles is to use the Library's online databases. For additional information on those listed below and for others, explore our list of databases. They are easily accessible off campus by clicking on the database name and typing in the information requested. If you need additional assistance with accessing the databases, contact Cedric Davis (334 229-6998) or Randy Curtis (334 229-6968).

Not all of our databases provide access to the entire text of articles. If the text of an article is not available in a database, check for the publication's title in Serials Solutions (ASU) to determine if the article is available in another online database. Serials Solutions does not include Wilson Education Full-text or Wilson's Library Literature and Information Full-text, so be sure to check these databases separately. Periodicals to which the Library subscribes are listed in our online catalog HORNetCat. These are housed in the Serials Department on the third floor. You may order those articles not available in the Library or via a full-text database through Interlibrary Loan.

• Academic Search Premier (ASU)
• ERIC (ASU) (AVL)
• Expanded Academic ASAP (ASU) (AVL)
• FirstSearch databases (ASU) (AVL)
• InfoTrac OneFile (ASU) (AVL)
• Professional Collection (ASU)
• Professional Development Collection (ASU) (AVL)
• Wilson Education Full-Text (ASU)
• Wilson's Library Literature and Information Full-Text (ASU)

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ERIC Documents

The ERIC Document collection includes a variety of items such as curriculum materials, reports, lesson plans, conference papers, and much more pertaining to education. These are arranged by clearinghouses, which specialize in specific areas of education. ERIC documents are located on the Library's third floor in the ERIC microfiche cabinets. Many ERIC documents dating from 1993 to the present are full text through the EDRS database.

• EDRS: ERIC Document Reproduction Service (ASU)
• ERIC (ASU) (AVL)

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Those books not located in the Library can be requested through Interlibrary Loan.

• HORNetCat
• netLibrary (ASU)
• Twayne's Authors Series (ASU) (AVL)
• WorldCat (available through FirstSearch) (ASU) (AVL)

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World Wide Web

The World Wide Web is an outstanding but often bewildering source of information. Not everything you find will be authoritative, accurate, and valid. Try searching one of these databases to find more reliable Web sites.

• INFOMINE Scholarly Internet Resource Collections
• Librarians' Index to the Internet
• Scout Report Archives

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Your Comments

Please take a few minutes to let us know what you think about this guide. Has it helped with your research? Do you have any suggestions for improving the guide? You may e-mail Barbara Hightower (bhightower@alasu.edu) or call her at (334) 229-6839 with your comments and suggestions.

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