1. Getting Started with Background Information
If you need background information on a topic such as that found in a subject encyclopedia or dictionary, you may want to consult one of the following reference books:Title |
Item Location |
Call No. |
| AIP physics desk reference. | Reference Collection |
QC61 .P49 2003 |
| CRC handbook of engineering tables | Reference Collection |
TA151 .C76 2004 |
| CRC materials science and engineering handbook | Reference Collection |
TA403.4 .C74 2001 |
| Dictionary of computer science, engineering, and technology | Reference Collection |
QA76.15 .D5258 2001 |
| Encyclopedia of the atomic age | Reference Collection |
QC773 .E49 2001 |
| Maynard's industrial engineering handbook | Reference Collection |
T56 .M39 2001 |
| McGraw-Hill dictionary of scientific and technical terms. | Reference Collection |
Q123 .M34 2003 |
McGraw-Hill encyclopedia of science & technology. |
Reference Collection |
Q121 .M3 2002 |
| Wiley electrical and electronics engineering dictionary | Reference Collection |
TK9 .K39 2004 |
2. Searching for In-depth Information in Books
Users may also search PILOT for additional books and materials owned by the Andruss Library for more in-depth information, using keyword or subject searching. Some of following Library of Congress subject headings and subheadings (e.g. "Acoustical Engineering - Examinations, questions, etc.") may be helpful. Relevant items will be located in the Government Documents Collection (2 nd floor) as well as in the General Collection (3 rd and 4 th floors).
Please note: You also have access to over 56,000 electronic books using netLibrary (listed under 'General' on the 'Databases for Research' page). These may be viewed and searched online and include many up-to-date titles published by major publishers.
Subject Headings |
Subheadings |
Acoustical Engineering |
-- Dictionaries |
Astrophysics |
-- Encyclopedias |
Biophysics |
-- Examinations, questions, etc. |
Electric Engineering ( not 'Electrical') |
-- Experiments |
Electrodynamics |
-- Handbooks, manuals, etc. |
Electronics |
-- History |
Health physics |
-- Miscellanea |
Mathematical physics |
-- Popular Works |
Mechanical drawing |
-- Problems, exercises, etc. |
| Nuclear physics | -- Study and Teaching |
3. Trade and Scholarly Journals
To know whether the Library subscribes to a print journal or has electronic access to it, search the Periodical Title List, available on our Web page (www.library.bloomu.edu). This 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:Journal name |
Availability |
| Acoustical science and technology | 2000 - present in Directory of Open Access (electronic) |
American Journal of Physics |
1940 - present in Andruss Library (print) |
| Annals of Nuclear Medicine | 2002 - present in Freely Accessible Science Journals (electronic) |
Health Physics |
1989 - present in Andruss Library (print) |
| Internet journal of nuclear medicine | 2002 - present in Academic Search Premier (electronic) |
Materials Physics and Mechanics |
2000 - present in Directory of Open Access (electronic) |
Nuclear Engineering International |
1998 - present in Lexis-Nexis (electronic) |
Physical Review Letters |
1958 - present in Andruss Library (print) |
Physics Today |
1948 - present in Andruss Library (print) |
Semiconductor Physics, Quantum Electronics & Optoelectronics |
7/1/2003 - present in Academic Search Premier (electronic) |
4. Finding Up-to-Date Information in Subject-Specific 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 >> Find Articles & More >> Science/Math/Tech). 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.
Database name |
Description |
Our largest interdisciplinary abstract service of over 8,000 magazines and journals. Over 4,500 journals are available in full text. |
|
Coverage of more than 560 core English-language, scientific and technical publications. Topics include engineering, acoustics, chemistry, computers, metallurgy, physics, plastics, telecommunications, transportation, and waste management. 10 concurrent users. |
|
A multi-disciplinary database, with searchable author abstracts. It indexes 800 major English-language journals across 100 scientific disciplines. Useful for finding who has cited a particular author. 2002- present. 3 concurrent users. |
|
Provides abstracts and indexing for more than 800 journals, plus more than 550 scholarly full text journals, including more than 450 peer-reviewed journals focusing on many medical disciplines. |
|
The online version of Mathematical Reviews , which provides timely reviews or summaries of journals (over 1700) and books containing contributions to mathematical research;1940- present. |
|
Maintained by the National Library of Medicine, this essential database provides abstracts from over 4,600 current biomedical journals; use the MESH thesaurus to narrow your search. 1966- present. There is a free version of this database available also, available at <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi> . |
|
A catalog of over 50,000 ebooks, available through Access PA, a project of the Commonwealth Libraries. Contains the complete full-text, searchable and readable online, of many current books by major U.S. publishers. |
|
Another interdisciplinary database providing abstracts from more than 2600 periodicals. Nearly two thirds of the titles are in full text. |
|
Abstracts of over 80 scientific journals published by the American Institute of Physics and its member societies, as well as selected citations from other scientific journals; 1975- present. |
5. 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 the Periodical Title List, 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. Following is a sample record:
The above screen shot shows that Physics Today is available electronically through the databases Academic Search Premier and MAS Ultra-School Edition from 1/1/75 to 3 months ago and is available in print from 1948 to the present in the Andruss Library.
- To view the electronic journal , click on the name of the database (e.g. EBSCOhost EJS) in which it is available.
- To find the print copy, click on the link for 'Andruss Library Holdings'. This will search PILOT indicating where the journal may be found in the Library.
- 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."
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 Ask a Librarian link on our Web page. Additionally, I am available for consultation; please do not hesitate to contact me.
Prepared by Linda Neyer, Reference Librarian/Health Science/Sciences Specialist
Harvey A. Andruss Library
Phone: 389-4801 E-mail: lneyer@bloomu.edu
October 20, 2005