Treasures & Tips at the UNE Library
How well do you know the UNE Library, and the many resources available there?
Recently, I visited the UNE Library website for the same reason that many of us do: to search for journal articles. I was pleased to find full-text access to most of the articles that I needed. This was not a big surprise; what really impressed me was the virtual treasure chest of resources that I found browsing other areas of the library. Below is a sampling of some of the more interesting and useful resources that I discovered, as well as a few helpful tips.
Library Help
First is the wonderful “Library Help” live chat function, shown here:
When I wasn’t able to find a few titles in my initial search, I posted my question to Library Help. Within minutes of submitting my help request, Bobby, one of the research & teaching librarians, responded with detailed instructions that helped me locate the articles using a different search technique. Having such easy access to the library’s skilled and knowledgeable staff, including one member who is dedicated to the online programs, is an invaluable service to users who might be intimidated by the library or discouraged when they don’t quickly find what they are looking for. If the live chat service is temporarily unavailable, the library also provides help via email or phone at Ask a Librarian.
Database Collection
Another great find is the impressive diversity of resources available in the library’s database collection . While many people might expect to see widely known databases for academic and technical publications such as PubMed, JStor and ERIC, the collection includes over 250 databases, with many special-interest resources and sites relevant to a general audience. Here are a few that piqued my interest (note: you must be logged into your UNE Nor’Easter user account to view):
- Counseling & Therapy in Video – Online videos for the study of counseling, social work, psychotherapy, psychology and psychiatric counseling.
- Congressional Quarterly Researcher – Covers current and controversial issues with complete summaries, insight into all sides of the issues, bibliographies and more.
- Credo Reference – Reference tools covering all key disciplines. Includes subject encyclopedias, dictionaries, atlases, handbooks, videos and images.
- DUNE – UNE’s centralized online repository. DUNE collects, preserves, and provides access to the scholarly and creative works and unique resources of the University of New England.
- Global Newsstream – Global Newsstream enables users to search the most recent global news content, as well as archives that stretch back into the 1980s featuring newspapers, newswires, blogs, and news sites in active, full-text format.
- Kanopy – Over 10,000 streaming films, documentaries and training videos from 800 publishing companies and networks, including PBS, Media Education Foundation, Criterion Collection, California Newsreel, HBO, First Run Features, BBC and more.
- MaineCat – Maine’s Statewide Catalog combines and links library collections across Maine including college, university, public and special libraries. A built-in requesting and transaction management system allows users to make their own online interlibrary loan requests, promising delivery within 5 days to any library that is part of the network.
- Mango Languages – Online language learning software for Spanish (Latin American) and French.
- Natural Medicines – Evidence-based resource on dietary supplements, natural medicines, and complementary and integrative therapies. Includes a health and wellness database, comparative effectiveness, interactions checker, and more.
- 20 Minute Mentor Commons – Magna’s 20-Minute Mentors are video-based programs designed to answer specific questions related to teaching and learning.
- WorldCat – Allows you to search the collections of libraries in your community and thousands more around the world.
While there are numerous other library resources not described here, I will leave you with three helpful tips that I learned from Cadence, UNE’s online research & teaching librarian.
- If you use Google Scholar as a research tool, you can add a setting that will link to the UNE Library. In Google Scholar, go to <<settings>> by clicking on the gear icon, select <<library links>>, type “University of New England” into the text box, and select this campus (you can also select World Cat).
- Contact the library for help setting up RSS feeds or alerts to your email to automatically get the latest publications (useful for faculty who wish to post the most current resources in their Announcements)
- Visit the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for a wealth of easy-access information about the library services