Robbins Library Notes

Good morning, readers!

Yesterday, I published a post on the pitfalls of having JSTOR as the sole tool in your research toolbox.  Here’s the second part that post, wherein I offer a few tips to help you kick the JSTOR-only habit:

• First and foremost, repeat the mantra: “It’s Not All on JSTOR.” The number of resources to which Harvard has access, or owns, that can help you with your philosophical research is staggering.  Harvard has the largest academic library in the world, and the second largest library in the world, after the Library of Congress.  JSTOR is but the tip of the iceberg.  Don’t let it be the only tool in your research toolbox.

• Define your question clearly. Remember the first step of my Searching 101: Basic Guidelines post: ask yourself — “What exactly am I looking for?” and make sure that this is absolutely clear.  For, if you are absolutely clear what you are looking for when you start your search, then you will likely have an excellent sense of where to find it.

Thus, if it’s blueberries that you’re after, wonderful.  But don’t go looking in a pear tree for a blueberry bush.

Likewise, if you are looking for an older article among the 34 ever-increasing number of philosophy journals on JSTOR, then, by all means, go there to retrieve it.  But if it’s a more recent article, or if the journal isn’t on JSTOR, save yourself some time and frustration by trying another database or HOLLIS.

• Print out the list of philosophy periodicals housed on JSTOR. You might want to think about printing off the list of philosophy journals housed on JSTOR, and keep it near your computer for ready reference.  They have a nice chart up on the site now, listing the journal and years of coverage.  If the journal you want isn’t listed there, try HOLLIS to see if it’s available via another source or medium.  (See the next point.)

• Check HOLLIS.  HOLLIS can be a valuable tool for determining the online access and coverage (if any) of a journal.

Example: You want to determine the online coverage of the Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society.  Search for “proceedings of the aristotelian society” in HOLLIS, using the “Journal Titles” tab, and setting the search to “Journal Title Beginning With….”  In the results list, click on the Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society (Online) link.  In the record, you will see a “Internet Link” heading, with “Locations/Orders: Availability” under it.  Click on the “Availability” link.  On the page that appears, you will see a listing of the complete electronic coverage.  (In this particular case, the record has not been updated yet, to include the older editions held in JSTOR.)

I strongly recommend using HOLLIS’ “Expanded Search” screen, as it can save a lot of time and energy by targeting your search.  If you would like to learn more about how to really put HOLLIS through its paces, please let me know.  I’d be happy to show you how.

• For larger searches for papers, theses, and the like, combine JSTOR searches with searches on other databases. If you aren’t familiar with these databases, please feel free to contact me to set up a tutorial.

• If unsure, ask your friendly, neighborhood librarian, i.e., me. I am here to help, and I am very understanding about how daunting technology and searching can be, having been a Luddite in a former life.*  I like giving tutorials, to individuals, groups, classes, whomever.  So please, yes, bother me questions about this stuff.  Please request training sessions, or consider adding a bibliographic instruction component to your courses.  Also, I love reference questions — especially the difficult and complicated ones.  These are the queries I like to sink my searching teeth into, so send those along to me, as well, if you would like some help.

Are these tips of help, readers?  What do you think?  Any others that I should add in?

*This fact causes no end of amusement to several friends, who knew me back in those days, and who now see me using and promoting technology as part of my job.