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Library Collections

Reference Materials

Find them by using:

  • RamSearch
    • After running your topic search, limit your results to the Research Starters source type
  • Minuteman Catalog Search
    • Minuteman Catalog Search has no 'Reference' limiter, so include the type of reference work you want as part of your search query (e.g.: encyclopedia, handbook, etc.), then limit to those at FSU only
    • OR type the following abbreviation in the search box: Ref , then choose the Call Number field (instead of Keyword), then limit results to see those only at FSU, to get a sense for what we have in our print reference book collection
  • Credo Reference
    • After running your topic search, you will see results from various reference e-books
    • You can also browse the e-books there by general subject area
  • Our List of Encyclopedic Databases
    • Choose one of the databases, then run your topic search
  • Gale eBooks
    • Choose one of the reference e-books, open it, peruse the table of contents, then read

Physical Location:

  • Our print Reference books are in the Quiet Study Room on the 1st floor
  • A small 'Permanent Reserve' collection is kept behind the Access Services Desk
  • A few older reference works are inter-filed within the main collection (Lower Mezzanine and Ground levels)

What they're useful for:

  • Basic, authoritative facts about a topic, including contact information for companies, schools, organizations
  • Brainstorming or refining a paper topic

Books / Monographs

Find them by using:

  • The Minuteman Catalog
    • This is the quickest way to see the print books we own: limit your results to print books, and to FSU only
    • The Minuteman Network also gives us online access to: e-books and e-audiobooks
    • Other libraries may own book formats that we do not, such as: Braille books, Juvenile Readalongs, Large Print books, Playaway Audiobooks, Spoken CDs, and Spoken Cassettes.
    • Run your topic search, then limit your results to the specific book format you prefer. Request and have books from other libraries sent to FSU for you to use
  • RamSearch
    • Run your topic search, then limit your results to the Books (for print) and/or eBooks Source type
  • Ebsco e-Books
    • Run your topic search to see relevant e-books
  • Our listing of databases that include e-books
    • Pick a database and run your topic search

Physical Location:

  • Our Open Book Stacks/shelves on the Lower Mezzanine and Ground levels
  • Curriculum Library (also Open Stacks) on the Upper Mezzanine
  • In the McNaughton Browsing Collection bookshelves directly across from the Access Services Desk
  • On the shelves surrounding the first floor fireplace
  • On the Minuteman / ILL Hold shelves behind the Access Services desk
  • 'Folios' (large, oversized books) are in call number order on the first three shelves to the right on the Ground Floor as you enter from the elevator side
  • Any audiobooks are inter-filed with our main collection (amongst the books)

What they're useful for:

  • If a monograph (academic book, can be peer-reviewed), detailed scholarly information on a topic
  • If literature (novel, autobiography, memoir), primary sources for literature research
  • If art books (many images), useful to art history, art, photography, and graphic design courses (many of these are oversized and are filed in the Folio shelves on the Ground Floor)
  • If from the McLaughton Collection (shelved across from the Access Services Desk), leisure reading

Newspapers

Find them by using:

Physical location:

  • Our few remaining print newspapers are on the newspaper rack near the first floor fireplace

What they're useful for:

  • Current news
  • Primary sources for information about events from the past

Popular Magazines

Find them by using:

Physical Location:

  • Any remaining print magazines that we receive will be on the shelves to the right of the first floor fireplace

What they're useful for:

  • Information and entertainment for the general public / non-experts

Graphic Novels

Find them by using:

  • The Minuteman Catalog Search
    • Try using the two words Graphic Novel in your search; you can limit by a specific comic genre, and search via title or author
    • Any print graphic novels not owned by FSU can be requested and sent here
  • RamSearch
    • There is no limiter for graphic novels in RamSearch; instead, include the phrase "graphic novel" somewhere in your search query
  • The Comics & Graphic Novels Guide
    • Guide highlighting sequential art as a truly interdisciplinary phenomenon

Physical location:

Trade Journals

Find them by using:

  • RamSearch
    • Run your topic search, then limit results to the Trade Publications source type
  • Journal Search
    • Search for a trade journal by name
    • Include the phrase "trade journal" when you run your topic search

Physical Location:

  • Any print trade journals we may still receive in will be on the shelves to the right of the first floor fireplace

What they're useful for:

  • News, developments, trends, and professional development information for employed professionals

Scholarly / Academic Journals

Find them by using:

  • RamSearch
    • Run your topic search, then limit your results to the Academic Journals source type
    • NOTE: If you want to be guaranteed to have only peer-reviewed journal results, select the Peer reviewed limiter at the top of the results page instead
  • Our Databases
    • The majority of our databases contain scholarly articles from academic journals, and allow you to limit your search to see only those results, and sometimes to see only peer-reviewed journal articles
  • Journal Search
    • Run your topic search, then limit your results to the 'journal' Resource type
    • NOTE: If you want to be guaranteed to have only peer-reviewed journal results, select the 'Peer reviewed' in the 'Limit your results' area on the left of the results page
    • Search for your favorite academic journals by title or ISSN here as well
  • Google Scholar
    • Run your topic search - all results will be limited to scholarly content (mostly journal articles)
    • When it is available, a link to free, online full text will be seen to the right of each result
    • For articles not available free online, check RamSearch for availability of a full text version from the Whittemore Library by running a search for the article's title with a double quote mark ( " ) on each end

Physical Location:

  • Back issues of our print journals are shelved on the Lower Mezzanine level
  • Some of our periodicals have back issues stored in the form of Microfiche or Microfilm (little films run through a reader that lets you see the pages on a lit screen).

What they're useful for:

  • Reports of primary research being done in a discipline
  • Other researchers' reactions towards published research reports
  • Opinion pieces discussing current developments in that field
  • Secondary articles which profile the development and progress of specific lines of inquiry

Gray Literature

Find them by using:

  • RamSearch
    • RamSearch will let you limit search results to the following types of 'Grey Literature': Reports, Dissertations / Theses,  Conference Materials
  • Our Databases
    • The exact search limiters available for locating gray literature will vary between databases, but they do have them
  • Your Favorite Internet Search Engine
    • Add the name of the type of gray literature you are seeking (e.g.: Report) to your search query

Physical Location:

  • Any physical copies of gray literature (such as reports) that we have will be inter-filed in book stacks.
  • There may be a few in the Curriculum Library.

What they're useful for:

  • Scholarly / Academic information that has NOT yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal or book
  • Includes: Theses, Dissertations, Conference Proceedings, Research Posters, White Papers, Reports, Working Papers, Slide Presentations, etc.
  • Tends to represent the most current information on a topic at the time of creation - some of these items will be converted into journal articles or academic books after, but not always, and others - such as reports from NGOs or businesses - never will

Films

Find them by using:

  • Our Video Databases
    • Choose a database and run your topic search
  • The Minuteman Catalog
    • Run your topic search then limit to your preferred video format: eVideo (streaming) or physical DVDs or VCDs
    • Physical items we do not own can be requested and delivered here to the library for you to pick up
  • Our Databases
    • Short videos (generally news clips) may be available in our other databases
    • Run your topic search, then when available, limit to films / videos

Physically Located:

  • DVD films are inter-filed amongst the main collection books
  • Additional physical video media is available from other Minuteman Libraries

What they're useful for:

  • Learn more about a topic (if documentaries from our databases)
  • Primary resources for Film / Media studies
  • Entertainment (especially films from the Minuteman Network)

Music

Find them by using:

  • The Minuteman Catalog
    • Run your topic search then limit to your preferred music format
    • Physical items we do not own can be requested and delivered here to the library for you to pick up
  • RamSearch
    • Limit your results to the Audio source type
    • These will lead to videos of performances

Physically Located:

  • Music CDs are inter-filed amongst the main collection books
  • Additional physical music media is available from other Minuteman Libraries

What they're useful for:

  • Music classes

Images

Find them by using:

  • The Minuteman Catalog
    • Run your search for art books by limiting to an artist's name and by format (book). Some may be labeled as 'folios' (over-sized).
    • Physical items we do not own can be requested and delivered here to the library for you to pick up
  • RamSearch
    • Limit your results to the  source type 'Non-print resources' (i.e., images)
    • Then limit your result to 'Full Text (Online)'
    • Result links will lead to an online image
  • Online Search Engines, Google Images, Museum Image Repositories

Physically Located:

  • Art books, and folios are located on the G level.

What they're useful for:

  • Art History
  • Studio Art
  • Design

Open Educational Resources

Find them by using:

Physical Location:

  • None; these are available free, online

What they're useful for:

  • Self-directed learning of authoritative facts about a topic from a free, online, peer-reviewed book
  • Adopting as a required textbook to give students free, online access to the information they need to succeed in their course
  • Being adapted, revised, and/or re-mixed with other original or open content to create a new, up-to-date textbook

Archival & Special Collection Materials

Find materials in:

Physical Location:

What they're useful for:

  • Primary sources for events from the past
  • Viewing FSU's intellectual output over time
  • Learning more about FSU history via handwritten and printed texts and ephemera

Curriculum Library Materials

Find materials by using:

Physical location:

What these materials are useful for:

  • Using and borrowing current curricular materials and children's literature if you're training to be a K - 12 teacher
  • Borrowing Children's and Young Adult literature for personal use