r u prplxt? snd a txt! February 26, 2009
Posted by Michael in : Cool tools, Research Help, Tips for students , add a commentThe library has provided quite a few ways to contact us with your questions including phone, email, IM, research consultations and the reference desk on the first floor of Perkins. Take a look at the Ask a Librarian page for more details.
Now you can ask questions just by texting us. Send us a question via text message and you’ll get an answer on your mobile device within minutes. Send a message to 265010 (that’s right, just six digits), enter ‘dukeref:’ followed by your question and send.
This can be handy if:
- You’re on the bus and you want to confirm that the library is open
- You want to see if that book on reserve is available right now
- You’re in the library and you can’t seem to locate your book or get the shelves to move
- You have a research question and you just love to talk with your thumbs
Messages are limited to 160 characters and texting rates apply. But if you like to text, you knew that already.
Google Scholar Tips February 23, 2009
Posted by Hannah in : Question of the Week, Tips for students , 1 comment so farGoogle Scholar is an excellent tool for searching across a set of scholarly journals and books, but how do you get your hands on the articles or books that you find? When you’re using Google Scholar off campus, you’ll need to set your Scholar Preferences to recognize Duke University Libraries.
Select the link for Scholar Preferences:
Under the section Library Links, enter Duke University Libraries and then select Find Library:
Make sure you select the Save Preferences button before beginning your search!
Once your preferences are set, you’ll see the Get it @ Duke link next to your search results. The Get it @ Duke link will connect you to the online or print version of the article/book in the library:
Do you use a citation tool, like EndNote or RefWorks? You can also set your Scholar Preferences to provide links to import your citations to EndNote or RefWorks:
If you have any more questions about Google Scholar, Ask a Librarian!
Read books one email at a time February 19, 2009
Posted by Michael in : Cool tools, Tips for students , 3comments
Even if you like to read books, can be hard to find the time or get into the habit of reading for pleasure. This is especially difficult for those of us that do a lot of reading for work and school. When we find ourselves with free time, we often neglect reading for other activities.
Using DailyLit, you can read short sections of books each day, received by email or RSS feed. Each installment is very short (intended to be read in 5 minutes) and can be sent daily, on weekdays, Monday-Wednesday-Friday, etc. Some books are available for a fairly small fee, but many others are available for free.
You can search or browse by author, title or cateogry. Try out Darwin’s On the Origin of Species or Austen’s Price and Prejudice for free.
Cambridge Histories Online February 9, 2009
Posted by Nathaniel in : Database Tip, Duke researchers , add a comment
Writing a history paper? Need background information on your topic? Cambridge History Online provides online access to over 250 Cambridge history volumes. These volumes cover a wide range of subjects including American history, British history, economic history, general history, history of science, history of the book, and the history of language and linguistics.
Key Features:
- Search and browse full-text content across all subjects and volumes
- Easily export citations
Click here to access Cambridge Histories Online.
