By: Gisselle Venable
Staff-Writer
When it comes to final papers, the most difficult part is starting. Procrastination is inevitable. Before actually writing the paper, you have to sit there for hours and think about how you need to write the paper. It’s a process that everyone is familiar with, but that doesn’t make it any less exhausting.
Luckily, Franklin D. Schurz Library has all the resources needed to help with the writing process.
The InterLibrary Loan (ILL) is an online service that offers materials to use for references. Students are able to request and check out articles, journals, e-books, videos and more. When starting research, ILL serves as an alternative to the library’s physical collection. It tends to be most helpful when diving into specific subjects that there may not be books for. Instead of paying for an article behind a paywall, why not try searching ILL for it to save time and money?
The library also offers databases for certain fields and subjects. LibGuides, available on the library’s website, has over 500 databases to search from. These are specific to a variety of subjects and are available for IU South Bend students. The only way to access them is through the database offered through LibGuides.
Alongside these databases, the library has an intensive navigation of journals and subject guides. The collection is well organized, so navigating it is simple. Each category leads into a subsection, which may lead into another subsection. The way the collection is organized makes it relatively easy to collect information.
If you need more personalized help with your research, you may consider meeting with one of the subject librarians. These staff, many of whom are also faculty, are specialists in researching a certain field. Whether you need help with biochemistry, computer science, history, music, social work, public affairs or any other field of study you can imagine, a subject librarian can help you.
You can schedule a research consultation with a librarian by navigating to library.iusb.edu and clicking “Research Support” in the header.
The library website also offers guides that can help you familiarize yourself with the library, cite your sources correctly and even publish your work.
At the end of the day, the library is the best resource for research. Google Scholar can’t carry you forever, so don’t hesitate to check out the collections of specialized subjects offered online – it’s there for a reason. If you’re unsure of what to do with all the information available, you can always talk to a program expert about where to begin.
The library will also offer free snacks and refreshments for students from Sunday, April 30 through Tuesday, May 2 to support their finals week endeavors.
