A brief introduction to Mirlyn that will explain the difference between a catalog and a database, will demonstrate how to look up a known source, how to check if the item is available, how to put a hold on an item, and how to look for a topic by keyword.

A detailed overview of Mirlyn. It will include when and how to use Advanced searches, what functions are available in My Account, and how to effectively use My Shelf.

A brief introduction to Search Tools that will explain the various tools for accessing electronic journals, databases (and what a database is), and searching across multiple databases at once using a keyword search. Includes how to find a known source and how to access the full-text of results (when available).

A basic introduction to Search Tools as described above, plus personalization tools.

A complete introduction to Search Tools, including personalization tools, Quick Search, Power Search, Find Databases and find e-Journals. Also includes how to evaluate search results in Quick Search, how to access them, and how to select appropriate databases for refined searching.

A brief introduction to a database of your choice. It will begin with an explanation of what a database is, how best to navigate to it, and a general description of the database. The class will do some simple keyword searches and there will be an explanation of how to find the full text of the entries in the results.

General description of the database followed by instruction on how to take a research topic, break it down into its components, and then determine what terms the database would use for each component. Explanation of search techniques such as using Boolean operators, truncation and proximity. How to find the full text of the entries in the results. How to save/email/export entries. Available limiters and other special features of the database.

Prerequisite: Advanced session of this same database
Can be tailored to individual needs. Can focus on one specific topic and how best to search that topic. Can cover how to export from the database into bibliographic management software. How to save specific searches and set up alerts so that you are notified when new entries on the topic are entered into the database.

A brief discussion of what it means for an article to be scholarly or popular. Some examples will be given, as well as tips on how to recognize the difference between the two.

An interactive activity with hands-on experience looking at popular and scholarly journals and differentiating between the two. A discussion on why using scholarly literature to conduct research is important, and a guided exploration into Ulrich's Periodicals Directory (or other resource as appropriate) to determine the scholarly status of a title.

A discussion about information on the web, who can be authors on the Internet, and Wikipedia. Includes information about the publishing and peer-review process for articles and books and compares that to the publishing process online. Includes tips for identifying a web page's author, their credibility, and the timeliness of a webpage.

Brief mention of the issue of plagiarism and a quick look at the University Library page on academic integrity.

Explores the issue of academic integrity by looking at both intentional and unintentional plagiarism with some practice exercises to identify and correct patchwriting.

Generally includes stops at the Circulation Desk, the Reference Room, the Information Center, the Knowledge Navigation Center, Serials/Microforms and the stacks.

A hands-on introduction to importing citations from databases into a RefWorks account. Includes basic information on organizing and making bibliographies with RefWorks.

Focused session on RefWorks, including how to use it with a variety of databases to import citations, how to create new citations from scratch, and how to use folders effectively. Also includes information about making bibliographies from folders or "My List" in a variety of styles.

A complete introduction to RefWorks, including Cite-While-You write features, using RefWorks for group work, and importing and exporting to other citation software. This session can be tailored to your class's specific needs.

A demonstration of how to set up e-mail alerts and saved searches in the databases or catalogs of your choosing.

A discussion of the utility of email alerts and RSS feeds from bibliographic databases or publisher websites. Demonstration of features to look for and steps typical to most databases. Some practice time for participants will be included.

In addition to setting up e-mail alerts and saved searches, a description of how to find and use RSS feeds to keep up to date. Hands-on exercise setting up an RSS aggregator and subscribing to feeds from academic databases, academic blogs, and other websites.

A brief look at ISI Web of Science with an explanation of what citation searching is and how to do a basic citation search within Web of Science.

A detailed look at citation searching that will include ISI Web of Science and Google Scholar as well as some other specialized databases that now have this information. Pros and cons of citation searching will be discussed. Will also include an explanation of the h index and the Eigen factor.

A hands-on exercise with a style (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc), including how to read bibliographies and locate the text of the cited reference, how to cite a reference in-text and in bibliographies, and the importance of citing references correctly.