Class: ESL Reading
Instructor: S. Siler
Term: Spring 2003

 

Library Guide to Your Reading Project

Your Assignment | Getting Started | Using Academic Search Premier | Finding Statistical Resources | Library Web Site

Getting Started

Your assignment is to research and report on one of the following topics
  • Self-actualization
  • Racism
  • Problems & potential solutions within public education in the US
  • Current use of technology in health care
  • Culture Shock

Once you have chosen your topic begin your research by locating a periodical article on your subject.  A periodical can be a magazine, journal or newspaper.  An efficient and effective way to locate an article is to use a periodical index or database.  Academic Search Premier is a database that PCC students can use to locate and retrieve articles from periodicals.

Using Academic Search Premier

PCC has many databases - electronic resources that locate and access articles from newspapers, magazines, journals, reference books and other resources.  Read the descriptions and choose a database that best suits your information need.

Academic Search Premier is a "GENERAL FULL TEXT RESOURCE".  This means it covers many different subjects and provides direct access to many of the articles it locates.  

To access Academic Search Premier or any of the other PCC remote access databases

1. Go to the PCC Library Web Site http://www.polk.edu/it/library
2. Click on the link to "Databases"
3. Click on the link to "Remote Access Databases"
4. Enter you borrower ID# - this is your student ID# or SS#
5. Choose the Database you would like to use

The diagram below shows the search screen for Academic Search Premier

Box 1 says to enter search terms in the find box for your topic.  Use the words or terms that are most important in your topic -- for example: "technology" and "health care". 

You should get a list of articles that matched your search terms - if you didn't, you may need to re-word your search.  Feel free to ask the librarian, your instructor or the library staff for assistance.

Click on the title of the link to full text to see the articles listed.  You can print your article, save it to a disk or e-mail it to an e-mail account.

Once you have found an article in Academic Search Premier, return to the "Remote Access Databases" page and choose a different database that you think will have information on your topic.
General Full-text Resources Subject Specific Resources

K-12 Resources
Academic Search Premier
Biography Reference Bank *
CQ Researcher *
Custom Newspapers
eBooks
Encyclopędia Britannica *
Facts On File News Service *
Issues and Controversies *
JSTOR *
LexisNexis Academic *
LexisNexis Current Issues *
LexisNexis Statistical *
Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center *
Oxford English Dictionary *		 Access Science *
American National Biography *
Biography Resource Center *
Business Source Elite
CINAHL with Headings *
Criminal Justice Periodicals Index *
Health & Wellness Resource Center *
Literature Resource Center *
MagillOnAuthors *
MagillOnLiterature *
Military FullTEXT
Regional Business News
WorldCat *

MAS Ultra School Edition
Primary Search

Statistical Resources

Statistical resources provide numbers, tables and charts from surveys, census results, research studies... There many resources for statistics in the reference collection of most libraries.  
Examples of Statistical Resources in the PCC Library include these titles
Many other Reference Resources provide statistical information on topics.  Subject specific encyclopedias, almanacs, handbooks, and reports are good places to look for statistics.  

You can locate these types of resources by using the library's catalog.

 

Use the online catalog to locate books in the library

You can search by author, title, or subject

 

Books are shelved by "call number" 
You will find the call number in bold type at the bottom of the screen.

If you would like assistance with any of the library resources please feel free to ask!

There are librarians and library staff available in the library to assist you in person

Library Hours
8:00am - 9:00pm  Monday - Thursday
8:00am - 4:00pm Friday
9:00am - 1:00pm Saturday

You can call the library at (863) 297-1040 WH or 297-1042 LK

You can e-mail the library at referencedesk@polk.edu

This page was created 2/2003

Send comments to referencedesk@polk.edu