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Getting Research Assistance

Library Catalog

Catalog Tips

Databases

Database Tips

Websites

 

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Just getting started?

Start by doing some background research. Take time to engage in some brainstorming exercises that will help you identify key subject terms. Encyclopedias and other reference resources can be used to help you refine your subject terms and the citations in these sources can be used to find more information on your topic.

Consider how much time you have to complete your assignment and how hard it will be to get the resources you need for your topic. If you are finding your research difficult to manage, narrow your topic or break your research down into manageable sub-topics. If you are not finding enough information on your topic, try using broader subject terms.

Other Useful Guides

 

Guide to the Library

Using Databases

Citation Guide

 

Library Catalog: Books, Videos, e-Books and more!

 

Call number areas to browse

Subject Area	Call Number Range	Subject Area	Call Number Range	Subject Area	Call Number Range
Afro-Americans	E184.5-185.98	American Literature—African American Authors	PS 153	Slavery in the United States	E441-453

 

The books in the library are organized by subject. You can browse these call number areas to find related books. So, if you are searching the library catalog and find a book that looks interesting or particularly relevant to your research, you can search the shelves in the library in the same call number area to find related items.

 

Reference Sources

Title	Call Number
Milestone Documents in African American History	REF E184.6 .M55 2010
Encyclopedia of African American Culture and History	REF E185 .E54
Encyclopedia of African American History, 1619-1895	REF E185 .E545 2006
Encyclopedia of American Civil Rights and Liberties	KF4748 .E53 2006
Find More

 

The reference collection is located at the back, right-hand side of the library. Items in this collection cannot be checked out, but a copier is conveniently located so you can make copies of the resources you find.

To search the Library Catalog for reference books about Black History, go to www.lonestar.edu/library and select "Advanced Search" on the "Catalog" tab. Enter "Black History" or a related term into the "Subject" field and then limit your search by selecting "Collection: Reference Books" from the Collections/Media menu.

To limit your search to items located at Montgomery Library, select "Location: LSC-Montgomery" in the Locations menu.

 

Circulating Books

Title	Call Number
Blacks at the Net: Black Achievement in the History of Tennis	GV992 .D53 2006
The Muse is Music	PS310.J39 J66
Our White Boy	GV865.C678 C73 2010
Torchbearers of Democracy	D639.N4 W497 2010

 

 

 

To search the Library Catalog for books about Black History, go to www.lonestar.edu/library and select "Advanced Search" on the "Catalog" tab. Enter "Black History" or a related term into the "Subject" field and then limit your search to items you can check-out by selecting "Collection: Circulating Books" from the Collections/Media menu.

To limit your search to items located at Montgomery Library, select "Location: LSC-Montgomery" in the Locations menu.

 

E-Books

Title	E-Book Type
African-American Art	netLibrary eBook
The Black Experience in America	EBSCO eBook
Ella Baker and the Black Freedom Movement	netLibrary eBook
The Roots of Texas Music	netLibrary eBook

 

 

To search the Library Catalog for e-books about Black History or a related term, go to www.lonestar.edu/library and select "Advanced Search" on the "Catalog" tab. Enter "Black History" or a related term into the "Subject" field and then limit your search to items you can check-out by selecting "Collection: Electronic Books" from the Collections/Media menu.

To limit your search to items available to Montgomery Library patrons only, select "Location: LSC-Montgomery" in the Locations menu.

 

Audio/Visual Materials

Title	Call Number
Ralph Ellison: The Self-Taught Writer	PS3555.L625 R35
For Love of Liberty	E185.63 .F67 2010
The Tuskegee Airmen	D790.262 99th .T87 2004
4 Little Girls	F334.B69 N3 1998

 

 

 

To search the Library Catalog for books about Black History, go to www.lonestar.edu/library and select "Advanced Search" on the "Catalog" tab. Enter "Black History" or a related term into the "Subject" field and then limit your search to items you can check-out by selecting "Media: Videos, DVDs, films, slides, etc." from the Collections/Media menu.

To limit your search to items located at Montgomery Library, select "Location: LSC-Montgomery" in the Locations menu.

 

Periodicals

Black Enterprise	Periodicals Collection
African American Review	Periodicals Collection
Essence	Periodicals Collection

 

 

 

The periodical section is located in front of the circulating collection, next to the outdoor patio area. The periodical collection is organized by title. These items cannot be checked out, but there is a copy machine available adjacent to the periodical section.

Tips!

 

Requesting items not available at Montgomery Library:

If there is an item listed in the catalog, but it is not located at Montgomery Library, just select the “Request First Available Copy of this Item” button from the catalog record to have the item sent to Montgomery Library for pick-up. To complete your request, you need your library barcode and PIN number. Generally, your PIN number is the last 4 digits of the phone number you used to register for classes. If you have problems requesting an item, contact the Circulation Desk in person, at 936.273.7387 or email mclr@lonestar.edu

 

 

If the item is not available in the catalog:

Just select the “Requests” tab located in the upper, right-hand side of the screen. Complete and submit the Inter-Library Loan Request Form – LSCS. Contact a librarian if you need help!

 

Research Databases: Find journal, magazine, and newspaper articles

 

Recommended Databases

America’s Historical Newspapers—1690-2000	Browse hundreds of U.S. newspapers published from 1690 through 2000.
Biography Reference Bank	Over 140,000 biographical profiles of people present and past, many with photographs, articles and more.
Films on Demand	High-quality, educational streaming video from companies such as Films for the Humanities, BBC, and PBS.
History Study Center	A collection of primary and secondary sources on global history from ancient times to the present day.

 

Tips!

Finding the right database:

If you’d like to explore a subject area: Access the Research Databases: www.lonestar.edu/library -> Find Articles Tab -> Select a category that is relevant to your topic.

If you know the title of the journal you’re looking for, use the A to Z Electronic Journal Search to find out which database provides access to that journal: www.lonestar.edu/library -> Find Articles Tab -> A to Z Electronic Journal Search -> Select “Search” tab

If you know the database title: www.lonestar.edu/library -> Find Articles Tab -> Find Database by Title

If the full-text/PDF version of an article is not available, select the “Check LinkSource for more information” link to see if another database offers full-text access.

 

Accessing Databases from Home:

You can access these databases from home using your library barcode number. If you have problems accessing the databases, contact the Circulation Desk in person, at 936.273.7387 or email mclr@lonestar.edu

 

 

Interlibrary Loan (ILL):

If you are not able to find a resource that you need in the databases or in the library catalog, you can request the item via the Interlibrary Loan Form: http://www.lonestar.edu/library/interlibrary-request.htm

 

 

Scholarly, Peer-Reviewed Sources

Scholarly articles are written by an authority on the subject and are meant to share primary research with others in the field. Unlike popular sources, scholarly sources generally have a narrow audience and include a clear author or sponsoring association. These documents are very structured and usually include a literature review, methodology, and extensive citations. Many scholarly sources are also peer-reviewed which means others in the field reviewed the work before it was published. Many databases will allow you to limit your search to scholarly and/or peer-reviewed sources – look for this option.

 

Websites

Occasionally the librarians at LSC - Montgomery library will find a website they consider exceptional or particularly useful for academic research.

 

Suggested Websites:

American Memory	memory.loc.gov/ammem/index.html
Digital Librarian—African-Americans	digital-librarian.com/africanamerican.html
Digital Librarian—History	digital-librarian.com/history.html