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As the end of November draws near, finals draw closer. The Weyenberg Library has tons of resources to help with final papers and projects. Check our handy guide below!

The library offers reference materials (which are always at the library and cannot be checked out), circulating materials to take home, and online databases that can be accessed 24/7 – great for finding last minute sources that your teacher will approve.



The Reference Collection includes a wide range of resources and research staples. Print encyclopedias and dictionaries are here, of course, but you can also find more specialized resources, like these:



(pictured above:The Encyclopedia of Dead Rock Stars, Butler's Lives of the Saints, Sports around the World, and The Gale Encyclopedia of Native American Tribes)

Why use specialized reference books? Specialized encyclopedias and biographical dictionaries usually have longer entries and more detailed information than their generalized counterparts. For example, an article on the Cree Nation is just a few paragraphs in a regular encyclopedia – in The Gale Encyclopedia of Native American Tribes, the article is 11 pages. This means a lot of information in a single, easy to use (and cite) place. Sometimes, extra copies or older editions of these books may be available to be checked out as well.

The reference section is also the place to look for recent editions of titles like Guinness World Records and various college guides.

Materials for Check-Out are also known as circulating materials. You probably think of books when you think of these, but the library offers much more. DVDs, magazines – even paintings! You can search the library’s collection at any time through our catalog. Need something tonight? Filter by location so only the Weyenberg Library’s books show. Or choose between fiction and nonfiction, look at only recent books … even filter by age level. See something you like at another library? You can request it – just remember that it takes a few days for the books to arrive, so ask in advance.



(pictured above: Smithsonian Magazine, Nov. 2015; The Fabric of the Cosmos, DVD; Othello, in facing-page translation; Who Was Marie Curie?, and Algebra Demystified: a Self-Teaching Guide)

Ebooks are also available from the Weyenberg Library through Overdrive, so you can check books out even when you can’t make it in. Ebooks follow the same rules as regular ones – they can only be checked out for a certain period of time and they aren’t always available.

Interested in other resources? You can check out older magazine issues or try a documentary. Not sure how to do the citation? Copies of style manuals are available in the reference section.

Databases

It’s 2 am on Sunday night, your paper is due in the morning and you need another source. Or you left your book at school and you have German test Monday. Or you’re going on a car trip and you want to listen to something new. Databases and e-resources offer remote access any time of day or night. 

Need to brush up on your Spanish, Latin, German, Mandarin, or French before finals? FLW offers free access to Rosetta Stone to its patrons with over 30 languages to choose from.

BadgerLink is provided through Wisconsin’s Department of Public Instruction and offers journal databases, audio clips, newspaper archives, royalty-free images, plays, books, and author interviews. There’s a lot to navigate, so here’s a quick overview of two of the major databases.

The Learning Express Library offers test prep resources for everything from Algebra to NCLEX tests. Their College Prep Center section offers SAT, ACT, and AP practice exams and study guides. The School Center offers help in Math, English Language Arts, Social Studies, and Science.

MasterFILE Premier offers access to tons of journals, speeches, and articles on a wide range of subjects, from acapella to yurts. Most of the publications included in this database aren’t academic, meaning you won’t need to be a specialist to understand them. Even though the database is online, all the results are from previously published materials – they’ve simply been put into a digital version for wider access. 

ASK US! Library staff are happy to answer your questions and to help you find what you’re looking for – please don’t hesitate to ask if you’re trying to track something down, even if it’s just a good book to read. We’re here to help!

SAT 2015 cover: http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51-cMmjRUDL._SX383_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg  
Smithsonian Magazine cover: http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/717CoQ2U HL._SL1024_.jpg
Database logos from BadgerLink.net and www.FLWLib.org
All other images courtesy of Easicat