Writing Annotations?

Do you need to research and write an annotated bibliography instead of a full-length research paper? Well, you’re in luck – the Library can help with that!  Check out the Annotations Tab on the Citing Sources Subject Guide.    Learn the difference between descriptive and critical annotations, and see examples of each.

If you are not sure of which citation format you should use for this class, check your Blackboard syllabus.  And, if you need help with citing, please Ask-a-Librarian.

Ron Mader: https://www.flickr.com/photos/planeta/35437170735

Citation Needed?

It’s that time of the year – when research assignments are soon due and students are typing furiously. Don’t forget to cite your sources! Librarians can help in multiple ways:

1. The Citing Sources Subject Guide provides tips to APA, Chicago, and,  MLA styles, as well as links to the well-respected Purdue OWL resources.
2. Most of our Research Databases have built-in citation generators. Look for a CITE icon.  You may need to clean the citation up a bit, but it will still be faster than starting from scratch.
3. Ask-a-Librarian librarians will be happy to take a look at your citation list. You can copy and paste it into the message and be sure to tell us what style you are supposed to be following.

Need Books?

Need books to finish a research assignment?  Now is the time to use GRCC’s eBook collection.  From the Library’s homepage, type your search terms into the GRCC Library OneSearch box.  Then refine your results as follows:

1. Click Full Text Online
2. Click Book / eBook
3. Select the Publication Date(s) appropriate to your topic and assignment.
4. Click onto the Title URL, or the Preview link, to see if the title works for you.
5. If you intend on using this title for your assignment, click the Quote Marks to get a formatted citation. (Woo-hoo!)

Questions?  Use the Chat service built into OneSearch, or, Ask-a-Librarian. We’re available to ensure you will be successful completing your course work!

 

Ask-a-Librarian – Have You Tried It?

Ask-a-Librarian email reference requests are just one way you can request assistance from GRCC  Reference Librarians. You can always visit the Library & Learning Commons, call a Reference Librarian (616-234-3868), or contact your department’s Liaison Librarian directly.

Ask-a-Librarian questions are answered 70+ hours a week corresponding to the hours librarians work at the Reference Desk.  Questions received after librarians close the Desk are answered on the next business day at the crack of o-dark hundred; sometimes, librarians even answer questions when the library is closed – but no guarantees!

Tell us what class the question relates to, more about the assignment requirements, where you’ve already searched and what terms you used, and anything else that will help librarians answer. Students and faculty tell us they like the ease of using Ask-a-Librarian, and that the answers are complete, helpful, and fast!

Why Subject Guides?

Librarians curate [Subject Guides] to provide point-0f-use resources and tips that are related to the classes students take within an academic department. There’s a [Subject Guide] for each academic department, or, in a few cases, a combined Subject Guide serving multiple related departments. In addition, there are Subject Guides for all students, like [Careers], [Citing Sources], [eBooks at GRCC], or,  [Paying for College]. They are listed in alphabetical order – and we have more than 90 to choose from.

[Subject Guides] are a great resources for students because you’ll find a list of the best databases for your topic, copies of handouts that were used in our classes, a link to your liaison librarian, tips for searching, career information in the field of interest, browsing lists of periodicals serving a department, new titles, news feeds, and more.  They are especially handy and used a lot by students who are researching on their own.

Librarians also know that if you start using [Subject Guides] at GRCC, when you transfer to your next institution, you’re more likely to look for something similar at that school. And, because we use the same software as most US academic libraries for presenting our [Subject Guides], there’s a transfer of previous knowledge – aka – you’re going to be able to use them right away, on your own!

Take a look at the [Subject Guides] for the classes you are taking (or teaching!) and contact your liaison librarian with any questions, comments, or suggestions.