Your teacher has given you an assignment. Before you proceed, you need to know the following:
Here is a breakdown of what we can offer based on how close you are to the answer for #1.
| Due in Less than 12 Hours | Most likely, you are reading this at 2:17am…the morning your assignment is due. You found this page in desperation. Get help now. |
| Due in 1 to 9 Business Days | Alright, we have the kids menu of options with this timeframe. View your options. |
| Due in 10 to 15 Business Days | You may have to digest the information you receive quickly, especially if you are at the 10-day end of the spectrum, but while you wait for your materials, you can complete your database research and exhaust all your options from MLN. Start researching. |
| Due in 16+ Business Days | “You are officially the Martha Stewart of assignment completion, and we love you for it. You have enough time to spin your ideas, put weak arguments out to dry and more! Begin exploring. |
Most likely, you are reading this at 2:17am…the morning your assignment is due. You clicked this link in desperation. You are asking yourself why you didn’t start this last week. You are wishing it was 2:17pm the previous day. Then you could go to the actual library. But you are here. On the Help! page, with a churning in your stomach and a recurring waking nightmare of a red lettered F. You are hoping we can work magic. It won’t be David Blaine’s level of magic. It will be more like this level of magic. And now we got you to click on both links, leading you to the cute cat video in the sidebar, making it now 4:17am without you having done any research yet…why, interwebs, why?! Alright, we’re in this together now. Let’s pull this band-aid and make this a life experience never to be repeated.
Does your answer to #3 include ejournals, ebooks, and websites found on the very internet that just supplied you with 2 hours of feline distraction (btw, sorry about that)? Good, because it is our only deck of cards.
Welcome to the deep web, which is the part of the internet iceberg you cannot see without us. This is no Google. This is a prodigious (SAT word alert!) vault of peer-reviewed academic literature. All you need is your library card number.
Tips:
Databases: General Search
Try these databases if you are beginning the research process, have a topic that spans subjects, or do not see a subject search that fits your topic.
Academic OneFile 1980 – present
Peer-reviewed, full-text articles on physical sciences, technology, medicine, social sciences, the arts, theology, literature, and other subjects. Full-text coverage of the New York Times back to 1995. Updated daily.
Britannica Online School Edition
Four complete encyclopedias and other resources
Expanded Academic ASAP 1980 – present
Articles from journals, magazines, and newspapers on arts and the humanities, social sciences, and science and technology
Access to all the Gale content in your library’s collection through one, single search query
A variety of indexed and full-text magazines, newspapers and reference books for information on current events, the arts, science, popular culture, health, people, government, history, sports, and more
Databases: Subject Search
English/Literature
Contemporary Literary Criticism Select
An extensive collection of critical essays on contemporary authors with a biographical/critical introduction, a listing of principal works, and sources for further study
Up-to-date biographical information, overviews, full-text literary criticism and reviews on more than 130,000 writers in all disciplines, from all time periods, and from around the world
History / Political Science / Law / Current Events
Britannica Online Public Library Edition
4 full encyclopedias, full-text magazine articles, a homework help section for students, and more.
Articles from American Criminal Law Review; Corrections Today; Criminal Justice; Criminal Justice Ethics; Forensic Examiner; Psychology Today; and more
Multimedia for international viewpoints on a broad spectrum of global issues, topics, and current events with analysis of social, political, military, economic, environmental, health, and cultural issues
Opposing Viewpoints in Context
Social issues presented in updated viewpoint articles, topic overviews, full-text magazines, academic journals, news articles, primary source documents, statistics, images, videos, audio files, and links to vetted websites
Contextual information on hundreds of the most significant people, events, and topics in U.S. History through reference content, full-text magazines, academic journals, news articles, primary source documents, images, videos, audio files, and links to vetted websites
Contextual information on hundreds of the most significant people, events, and topics in World History through reference content, full-text magazines, academic journals, news articles, primary source documents, images, videos, audio files, and links to vetted websites
People: Famous and Infamous (also see Britannica)
Contextual information on the world’s most influential people through reference content, periodicals, and multimedia
Science / Technology / Medicine
Environmental Studies and Policy Collection
Multiple viewpoints of this volatile field of study, including perspectives from the scientific community, governmental policy makers, as well as corporate interests.
Health & Wellness Resource Center
Nearly 400 health/medical journals, numerous reference volumes, over 700 health videos from partner Healthology, Inc., hundreds of pamphlets and health-related articles from 2,200 general interest publications in addition to a broad collection of Gale reference titles
Health Reference Center Academic
Articles on Fitness, Pregnancy, Medicine, Nutrition, Diseases, Public Health, Occupational Health & Safety, Alcohol and Drug Abuse, HMOs, Prescription Drugs, etc.
Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine Collection
Over 100 titles covering the fields of physical therapy and sports medicine, with access to topics discussed in the field, including proven treatment techniques, experimental research theses, and many more
Topic overviews, experiments, biographies, pictures and illustrations, as well as articles from over 200 magazines and academic journals and links to quality web sites
OverDrive is now Libby
Libby is soon-to-be the preferred e-reader at Minuteman Library. Overdrive is “sunsetting” until February 2023, at which time digital content will strictly be available via Libby, and Overdrive will end. Use your MLN library card to set up your Libby account and download titles onto your PC/Mac or wireless device. Users have options for self help, one is for current OverDrive users switching to Libby and the other is the Libby & Overdrive onboarding page .
Users can always contact a librarian if we are open.
Websites
Visit these trusted websites for information, multimedia, articles, etc. on their related subject matter.
English/Literature
Links and articles (screened by a literary scholar) on more than 250 major American and British writers
CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture
Open access peer-reviewed articles, review articles of scholarly books, and research material on comparative literature and comparative cultural studies published through the Purdue University Press
History / Political Science / Current Events
The Country Studies Series presents a description and analysis of the historical setting and the social, economic, political, and national security systems and institutions of countries throughout the world.
Library of Congress: American Memory
American Memory provides free and open access through the Internet to written and spoken words, sound recordings, still and moving images, prints, maps, and sheet music that document the American experience.
Core Documents of Our Democracy
This collection provides American citizens with direct online access to the basic Federal Government documents that define our democratic society.
United Nations: Cyberschoolbus
This site offers accurate, official, and up-to-date information and statistics regarding the countries of the world.
Science / Medicine
An inside look at the general principles, methods, and motivations that underlie all of science
An online location for scholars and others to visit when searching for field books and other field research materials
Videos about each element, selected molecules and compounds, and other areas of chemistry
Access to website links with health information on more than 900 topics, the A.D.A.M. mutlimedia medical encyclopedia, drug and supplement information, a medical dictionary, and patient education interactive tutorials
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Information about preventing and controlling disease, injury, and disability
A subject directory of health website links with a focus on medical pictures maintained by the Hardin Library for the Health Sciences, University of Iowa
Alright, we have the kids menu of options with this time frame. In addition to the aforementioned databases and websites, we can add in a side of materials in physical formats from the Minuteman Library Network (MLN).
Important information BEFORE you search:
May the force be with you:
Minuteman Library Network Catalog
Both our statewide Commonwealth Cataog and the Boston Public Library’s underground document lair, called BPL Illiad, both become realistic options. You may have to digest the information you receive quickly, especially if you are at the 10-day end of the spectrum, but while you wait for your materials, you can complete your database research and exhaust all your options from MLN (see the two previous timeframes: online resources, Minuteman Library Network).
You can only request items that are available at libraries throughout the state. The lending library reserves the right to refuse a request for any reason. Also, fines are hefty for Commonwealth Catalog items returned late. Contact our Reference Librarian if you require assistance with your search. This is a new system replacing the older Virtual Catalog and library networks are still be intergrated. If you would like more information, on the intergration progress or on Commonwealth Catalog in general, please check the FAQ here.
BPL Illiad
Contact our Reference Librarian to request one chapter from a book or full-text articles from journals, newspapers, or magazines NOT owned by any MLN library. Oftentimes, the wicked smart BPL librarians transmit these documents via email, but the wait time depends on their backlog.
You are officially the Martha Stewart of assignment completion, and we love you for it. You have enough time to spin your ideas, put weak arguments out to dry, iron out the details, and organize them inside that bureau you built and finished with “old savannah moss” paint from your own line at a home improvement store. Seriously, with this timeframe, the nationwide search is at your side. Go ahead, pick the most esoteric (SAT word alert!) topic in the world. Dare us to not find a resource!
OCLC is our worldwide catalog, but we can request only books owned by at least eight (8) libraries in the United States. You do need to contact our Reference Librarian to request any OCLC item. Also, you may have to pay for shipping & handling costs (see our Jobs & Careers section for making the money to pay those fees).
