1. Getting started with background information

If you need background information on a topic or a specific piece of information such as that found in a subject encyclopedia or handbook, you may want to consult one of the following print reference books:

2. Searching for information in books and gov docs

Users may also search Pilot for additional books and materials owned by the Andruss Library for more in-depth information. Please note that a large number of relevant items will be found in the Government Documents Collection (2 nd floor; 1 st floor for microforms).

Government Documents circulate for a period of 1 week. They are arranged by the SuDoc Classification system (SuDocs is short for “Superintendent of Documents”). SuDocs, unlike the Library of Congress Classification system, is not a decimal system: the number after the point is a whole number. Government Documents are classified by their issuing body, e.g. Geological Survey (U. S.), so you may want to search by author in addition to subject or keyword.

3. Finding trade and scholarly journals

To know whether the Library subscribes to a print journal or has electronic access to it, search Serials Solution, available on our Web page (www.library.bloomu.edu). Serials Solution is a searchable database containing holdings information of more than 1,200 print journal subscriptions and 18,000 electronic journals available through Andruss Library. Some titles include:

4. Finding articles in journals

For current information on specific topics, you will want to search the databases appropriate for your discipline. Following is a list of databases that will help you identify relevant articles on a topic. You access them through the Library's Web pages ( Library >> Databases for Research >> Sciences ). If you are off-campus, you will be prompted first to enter your Library Account Number, a fourteen-digit number found on the lower left hand corner of your Bloomsburg University ID.

5. Exploring selected internet sites

Increasingly, more and more scientific information may be found on the Web. The U. S. Government has made available online many gov docs. The scientific community in general is a strong proponent of ‘Open Access' to the journal literature and is cooperating with Google Scholar, a beta project to provide easier access to the scientific literature. You will want to explore many of the following Web sites for additional information.

Andruss Library Guide http://library.bloomu.edu/page s /govinfo.html

This is our library's guide to national, Pennsylvania, and international government resources

EnviroMapper for Water http://www.epa.gov/waters/e n viromapper/

A Web-based Geographic Information System (GIS) application that dynamically displays information about bodies of water in the U. S. Provides linking to text reports for specific water bodies, too.

The Geological Literature and Scholarly Communication http://library.owu.edu/geol310literature.html

This Web site from the Ohio Wesleyan University Library provides a very nice overview, addressing typical problems in accessing the geological literature; discussing how to decide which tool to use for which problem; and providing explanations of the different kinds of literature (primary, secondary, reports, gov docs, etc.).

Google Scholar http://scholar.google . com

GPO Access http://www.gpoaccess.gov

This is the Government Printing Office's official site. You may search by topic, government branch, or document title.

Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection http://www.dep.state.pa.us

The DEP site has a good deal of information on acid mine drainage and other issues of concern to geologists.

Pennsylvania Organization for Watersheds & Rivers http://www.pawatersheds.org

The POWR publishes Watershed Weekly , a publication designed to “help watershed groups statewide gain visibility and network with each other.” Contains information on conferences, funding sources, training, and job opportunities.

State of the Land http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/technical/land

The U. S. Dept. of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Services (NRCS) provides data and analysis on land use, soil erosion, water quality and other issues regarding the conservation and use of natural resources.

STORET http://www.epa.gov/STORET/

This is a database (STORET stands for STOrage and RETrieval) containing water quality, biological, and physical data and maintained by the EPA.

U. S. Geological Survey http://www.usgs.gov

Has a clickable map for Regional Studies and State information. Also has pages on “ National Water Quality

Assessment Program (NAWQA)” and “Water Resources of the United States” that summarizes US ground and surface water statistics, including water quality, contaminants, and regional studies.

Window to My Environment http://www.epa.gov/enviro/wme/

This Web site provides access to federal, state, and local information about environmental conditions and features in an area of your choice. The application is provided by U. S. EPA in partnership with federal, state and government and other organizations. Search by zipcode or city/town and state.

6. Finding (and not finding) books and journals in Andruss Library

If you are looking for a book ,

• You will need the call number and location information. Generally speaking, books beginning with the call numbers A to N are found on the 3 rd floor and P to Z are on the 4 th floor. The Reference Collection and Government Documents are found on the 2 nd floor. Consult the Floor Plans for more complete location information (Library >> General Library Information >> Floor Plans).

• If a book is NOT available in Andruss Library, you may request it through another Library at no cost using one of our interlibrary loan options (Library >> Services of the Library >> Inter Library Loan).
• You may use the UBorrow system (provides access to the 14 State System of Higher Education Libraries' collections) or the PALCI EZBorrow system (provides access to over 40 Pennsylvania academic libraries' collections including those of Penn State and Bucknell). Request materials online and in many cases receive them in 2-3 days.

If you are looking for a journal article ,

• First check Serials Solution , discussed above. Search by the journal's name to see if the journal is available either electronically or in print. Print journals are located on the 1 st floor of the Library (in Current, Bound, or Microfilm areas) with the exception of bound journals older than 1989 which are located on the 4 th floor.
• If a journal is NOT listed in Serials Solution , you may assume that we do not have it, and you may request an article published in it through interlibrary loan using the online form found under “Services of the Library.”

7. Citing your sources

For help in citing, consult the Library's Web page (Library >> How to Cite Sources). Consult your instructor as to which style he or she prefers you to use; you may be asked to use a scholarly journal as your guide. In this case, consult the front matter of the journal called “Instructions to Authors” or “Manuscript Preparation” for their style guide. Remember that the purpose of citing is to allow other researchers to find the same materials that you used, so be clear, consistent, and accurate.

8. Further help

If you have any other questions, please stop by the Reference Desk for assistance or call 389-4204. You may also e-mail your questions to Reference, using the Research Question link on our Web page. Additionally, I am available for consultation; please do not hesitate to contact me.