By JOE SCOLLO
MARVIN K. PETERSON LIBRARY

As the semester is drawing down, we (the librarians at the library information desk) are getting a lot of questions from Criminal Justice and Forensic Science students regarding specific people, cases, and/or crimes. Many students are trying to find research for a paper that is due at the end of the semester, but can’t find the resources they need. For example, imagine a student needed information on the “No Name Gang”, and specifically a piece of evidence such as broken window at the crime scene that was used against the defendants to convict them. For those of you who are unfamiliar with this group, the characters in the movie “The Town” were based off these criminals. This gang, which consisted of five members, led by Anthony Shea, was known for robberies, assaults, and murders throughout several states on the east coast. Criminal Justice specific databases such as ProQuest’s Criminal Justice Periodicals or and Criminal Justice Abstracts with Full-Text can be great sources of information, but in this particular case, no information was available in either database. When researching a criminal or a crime, the best resource is typically the original court case itself, if it is published. In situations such as this, an actual court case can be a great source when looking for information about the evidence, crime, or the trial. Each case will contain factual information about the evidence presented, the defense of the accused, the verdict, the ordered sentences, the full legal history of the case, as well as other cases involving the defendant(s).

The best way to look up a specific court case through the UNH library is through the database, “Campus Research Powered by Westlaw.” To access this database from the library homepage, on the left side select the link for “databases.” From the next page, select “Subject Listing,” which will break down all the databases based on the content of the material inside. Once inside, scroll down to either the Criminal Justice/Forensic Science/National Security Section, or the Legal section; Campus Research Powered by Westlaw will be listed. After entering the database, there are two tabs at the top left of the page, News & Business or Law. Select the tab for Law. Once on the Law page, the database of cases will be searched based on the terms or name that have been entered. After entering the search terms, select the type of case you would like to look up; Supreme Court, Federal, All State, a Specific State, or all of them.

In this case, “Anthony Shea,” can be entered as the search term (using quotation marks so it searches for the full name instead of each word individually), and Federal Cases checked from the list, since we knew that the FBI had arrested the crew. The case, U.S. v. Shea (957 F.Supp. 331) appears in the search results list and all the needed information regarding evidence in the case was found in the document in a few minutes. It is easy to find once you know where to look.

If you have any questions on how to search for court cases, please stop by the Library’s Information Desk, call the Information Desk at (203) 932-7189, or email us at libraryhelp@newhaven.edu and a Librarian will be more than happy to assist you. Good luck with your final papers and exams.

By DIANE SPINATO
UNH LIBRARIAN

Happy New Year! For many people, perhaps you, that means a time to get out of a comfort zone and try something new; something that might help you become a better person in some way. For others, it might mean trying to improve on something you currently do but could do better. For 2013, if you are not a user of UNH library resources, why not make a resolution to learn about the resources available to you through the UNH library. The library offers many ways to help students improve their ability to find, analyze and effectively use information resources.

Why not start with the Library Tour Video? On the main library website (http://www.newhaven.edu/library), just click on the video and take a 5 minute tour through the library. That way, you’ll know what to expect when you come to the library in person.

Workshops. We offer workshops for the UNH Community covering such topics as “Information: What is it? Where do you find it?”, “Journals: What they are, Why you need them & where to get them” and “Digital Citizenship”. This is a chance to learn about these issues and many others in a comfortable, small group environment and ask questions. If you are shy to come alone, talk a friend into coming along. Or two. An unfamiliar experience is often less intimidating when you have someone to share it with. Find the updated list every semester at http://www.newhaven.edu/library/Workshops/

LibGuides. Have you avoided using the library because you’re overwhelmed by the amount of information available and aren’t sure where to find information for just the specific subject you need? You are not alone. That is why librarians offer you LibGuides. Each Subject LibGuide explains the information resources that are most useful for that subject. Often, librarians will create a class LibGuide listing resources most useful for a specific class research project. We also have “How do I? guides that explain such concepts as what a database is or how to find peer-reviewed journal articles. Find all LibGuides here: http://libguides.newhaven.edu

Group Study Space and Quiet Study Space. The library has space to accommodate all types of studying. Groups can reserve a group study room or work at a table on the lower level. Need to find a quiet study place on campus? The upper level has individual study carrels and is a no talking zone.

Librarians. Sometimes we are the class librarian in a class that you are taking and have set up a discussion board in your class blackboard site. If so, use it! We are happy to answer all your questions. The UNH Librarians are dedicated to helping every member of the UNH community become “Information Literate”. We want to do whatever we can to help you become great at locating, and effectively using information resources. If you need help finding information for a class research project, feel free to come into the library or to even make an appointment for a research consultation in advance. We will sit down with you individually, discuss your project, and help you find good, credible information. Find ways to contact a librarian by looking at the Ask A Librarian page on the UNH library website.

http://www.newhaven.edu/library/askalibrarian/

This is just a small sample of resources offered by the UNH library. If you have any questions for us, feel free to email libraryhelp@newhaven.edu Happy New Year & hope to see you in the library in 2013!

Correction to the article “The Top 10 Misconceptions about Libraries and Librarians”

Dear University Community,

While the commonly held belief is that you don’t need libraries or librarians, since everything is available for free online, this is not the reality of the situation. The reality is that most of what you find through a Google search is not available for free. There are many factors that impact what is made available in a digital format and what can be found through a search engine, or even what pieces of that content can actually be accessed for free.

Some of these factors include monetary/economic concerns such as who funded the research and provisions of that funding, who owns the intellectual property of the material in question, if the contract that was signed by the creator specified that the material could be produced in multiple mediums, or if the publisher chooses to make a digital copy available for a fee or free. Others include legal issues, such as copyright law or laws that restrict the access of the material (think about the changes to the Freedom of Information Act throughout the past 12 years). Yet others include technical and privacy issues, such as the right of a publisher to determine how search engines such as Google can find and index their internal resources. Yet another is the way that a particular search engine processes the words you used in your search and displays the possible results from your search. Some search engines also try to help you evaluate the results by only showing you what they think you want to see based on what everyone else who has searched for you words has found useful, your geographical location or even your past searching history.

As you can see, there are many variables that control what is published digitally and how that information can be accessed. Given these and other variables that I have not mentioned, it’s actually more important for Libraries and Librarians to exist today as libraries and librarians work with these and other issues surrounding how people can access, search for, find, and evaluate information on a daily basis. Because of this, I would say that the traditional roles for libraries and librarians continue to evolve as the way information is created, shared, organized and accessed evolves.

By UNH Library

Dear University Community,

While the commonly held belief is that you don’t need libraries or librarians, since everything is available for free online, this is not the reality of the situation. The reality is that most of what you find through a Google search is not available for free. There are many factors that impact what is made available in a digital format and what can be found through a search engine, or even what pieces of that content can actually be accessed for free.

Some of these factors include monetary/economic concerns such as who funded the research and provisions of that funding, who owns the intellectual property of the material in question, if the contract that was signed by the creator specified that the material could be produced in multiple mediums, or if the publisher chooses to make a digital copy available for a fee or free. Others include legal issues, such as copyright law or laws that restrict the access of the material (think about the changes to the Freedom of Information Act throughout the past 12 years). Yet others include technical and privacy issues, such as the right of a publisher to determine how search engines such as Google can find and index their internal resources. Yet another is the way that a particular search engine processes the words you used in your search and displays the possible results from your search. Some search engines also try to help you evaluate the results by only showing you what they think you want to see based on what everyone else who has searched for you words has found useful, your geographical location or even your past searching history.

As you can see, there are many variables that control what is published digitally and how that information can be accessed. Given these and other variables that I have not mentioned, it’s actually more important for Libraries and Librarians to exist today as libraries and librarians work with these and other issues surrounding how people can access, search for, find, and evaluate information on a daily basis. Because of this, I would say that the traditional roles for libraries and librarians continue to evolve as the way information is created, shared, organized and accessed evolves.

By UNH Library

What is the first thing you think of when you hear the word librarian? For many, it’s an image of a woman with a glasses and a bun in her hair, sitting at a desk and shushing people who make noise. However, that is just a stereotype. To help overcome some common stereotypes here are the “Top Ten Misconceptions about Libraries and Librarians”.

Perception #1:

Everyone who works in a library is a librarian.

Reality: Libraries have employees with different job titles and education requirements.

Perception #2: Anyone with a bachelor’s degree can work as a librarian.

Reality: All Librarians have to complete a graduate program in Library Science; some even have multiple masters degrees or even a PhD.

Perception #3: Librarians read or shelve books all day.

Reality: Librarians work with finding, reviewing, evaluating and applying information to solve particular problems; this includes activities that focus on organizing it or working with people to find and use it.

Perception #4: All Librarians are older women that wear glasses, cardigans, and buns in their hair.

Reality: Librarians can be any nationality, race, age or gender. You can’t always tell who is a librarian by what they look like.

Perception #5: All Libraries are the same.

Reality: Libraries exist to help different populations and therefore have purchase different resources to help their users. This is why most public libraries may not have books or databases that can help an Engineering, Criminal Justice/ Forensic Science or Psychology student complete research for their courses.

Perception #6: All Librarians have the same job duties.

Reality: All Librarians work with information, but the ways they do depend on where they work and their job description. Some focus on teaching people about research, on purchasing resources, analyzing and summarizing data, managing the library, working with library technology or making sure that all the books have been entered in the online catalog so you can find them there.

Perception #7: You don’t need libraries or librarians, since everything is available for free online.

Reality: Every publication (book, magazine, journal etc.) is not available digitally and most of what you find through a Google search is available for free. Libraries and Librarians help you access and use resources you might otherwise not be able to afford.

Perception #8: All Librarians work in Libraries.

Reality: People with a Masters in Library Science work anywhere where information is needed, although their job title may not include the word librarian. They can be found in such diverse industries as biotechnology, software development, data management, advertising and marketing, publishing, museums, archives, government, or nonprofit companies such as the American Red Cross.

Perception #9: Librarians don’t understand or work with technology.

Reality: All Librarians work with technology, but the types of technology they work with depends on their job descriptions, specialization and place of employment.

Perception #10: Libraries are quiet places.

Reality: This depends on the library you are in, and the time of year or day/night you are there. While most libraries have designated quiet work spaces, they also have computers/printers, group study spaces and cafés to provide spaces for working with others. As you can imagine, it can get pretty noisy.

By JOE SCOLLO

As you get deeper into the semester, research assignments, projects and/or tests will soon consume your lives. However, if you know where to find the information or research you need, it will make your lives easier and take a lot less time.

To better assist you, the librarians here at UNH have created LibGuides, or research guides that will help you find resources and information specific to a topic or class. These easy-to-use guides contained detailed instructions and will direct you to databases, websites, books and resources specific to your area of study. We have been getting excellent feedback from the UNH community, so we have been expanding the collection.

There are currently over 100 different guides covering different subject areas, from criminal justice and forensic science, to citation style guides, to guides with video tutorials showing you how to use and search a specific database. To access the LibGuide collection, simply go the library homepage, and on the left hand side select the link for “Guides.”

Since the collection is expanding, the LibGuide homepage has been completely redesigned to make it easier to use. Previously, the top ten most viewed guides were the focal points of the homepage, and at first glance it looked as though we only had ten guides. Now, new subject headings have been created. For instance, one of the subject headings is “Criminal Justice.” By clicking on the title, you will see links to several different subject guides related to criminal justice; they include psychology, fire science, forensic science resources, criminal justice and national security.

Each link contains different resources for that subject. However, all of those subjects are related to criminal justice; it was designed to make it easier to utilize other related guides when researching, maybe even a subject area you did not think to check.

At the top of the page, the “How Do I…?” tab contains all LibGuides that explain how to use the resources available through the library. For instance, “Databases Demystified” is a step-by-step guide teaching you how to find and search in a database. There are other guides such as “Introduction to the Library for Undergrads,” “Understanding JSTOR,” “What is a peer-reviewed journal article,” and “Evaluating Websites for Academic Research” to name a few.

Remember, our LibGuides collection was designed to assist the UNH community with their research needs. If there is a guide that you think should be available that is not, let us know. If you have any questions, please stop by the Library’s Information Desk, call the Information Desk at (203) 932-7189, or email us at libraryhelp@newhaven.edu and a librarian will be more than happy to assist you.

Overlooking the Maxcy quad is the Marvin K. Peterson Library, the library of the University of New Haven. Named after a former president of the university, the library not only serves as an ideal place to study or do homework, but its extensive database collection has just about any book or reference item one may need for class.

Beginning right after fall break on Wednesday, Oct. 10, the library will open at 7 a.m. and continue to be open on a 24/7 basis for the remainder of the fall semester, with the exception of Thanksgiving break.

Students can enjoy a beautiful view of the Maxcy quad from the library café as well as receive free tutoring services from the Center for Learning Resources (CLR) located on the bottom floor.

A distinguishing feature of the Peterson Library among the places on campus has always been the hours. Students, faculty and staff could utilize the library and its many services before the earliest classes of the day started and long after the latest classes ended.

Currently, the library is open an incredible 109 hours a week for use by members of the university community. The Peterson Library’s current fall 2012 hours are Monday through Thursday 7 a.m. to 12 a.m.(midnight), Friday from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 12 a.m. (midnight).

Even so, there has been popular demand for expanding the library’s hours for a number of years now. Many students who may not have regular access to a computer, printer or quiet area to study in may need those services after midnight or earlier than available on the weekends. The idea of keeping the library open 24 hours a day began as early as 2009, and in the fall of 2010, the Academics Committee of the Undergraduate Student Government Association (USGA) held a petition for the idea. While the petition received a lot of support from students, the Peterson Library lacked the funding to go ahead with the idea, so it had to be put aside.

In the fall 2011 and spring 2012 semesters, the idea of a 24-hour library was tested for finals week. From Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2011, to Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2011, and then again from Monday, April 30, 2012, to Wednesday, May 9, 2012, the Peterson Library remained open for university students, faculty and staff on a 24-hour basis, although services such as borrowing books and reserving group study rooms were unavailable past regular hours.

The popularity of the library after hours was apparent during these two weeks and now, thanks to an increase in funding, the Marvin K. Peterson Library will soon be open 24 hours a day and seven days a week for the semester!

“This is something that the students wanted and this is what they asked for,” adds Hanko Dobi, University Librarian. “Here in the library, we try to serve the students and the administration wants to give students a positive experience as well”. Beginning right after fall break on Wednesday, Oct. 10, the library will open at 7 a.m. and continue to be open on a 24/7 basis for the remainder of the fall semester, with the exception of Thanksgiving break.

Due to library staff leaving at the end of the day, many library services will still be unavailable after midnight. Still, students, faculty and staff can use the computers, printers and copiers all hours of the day.

Furthermore, security will be present in the library after hours, and entry will require a valid UNH ID. A 24-hour library has been an idea long in the making and its establishment is another testament to the growth of the university and the dedication of its staff to continue to serve the increasing student body.

“There are plans to continue these hours in the spring,” concludes Dobi.

By ANDREA SICARI

MARVIN K. PETERSON LIBRARY

At some point in your life you have probably walked into a library and said, “I need a book about ___”.  But, did you know that there are different types of books and that each may contain specialized information?

How, then, do you know what source or format contains the information you are looking for? Well, to figure this out, you need to learn a little bit about how information is organized and distributed in libraries. In this article, I will introduce you to the types of information you are most likely to find in different types of books and how to choose the right type of book to search in.

Why books? Books have been the preferred method for the distribution of information since 1436, when the Guttenberg Printing Press made it possible to quickly and economically print and distribute books to those who were interested in reading. As more books were produced, it became necessary to organize the information in them so that others could find it more easily. As part of this organization effort, books became more specialized and libraries were created to store, distribute and help people find the information within these books. This is the reason that you have to know which type of book is most likely to have the type of information you are looking for.

Let’s use the example of forensic science to find out what type of book you would go to depending on the question you had.  Let’s say you were exploring the topic of “forensic science” and you didn’t know anything about it. The very first thing you would to do is find a definition of what it is. The best place to look for this is in reference books as they contain factual collections of information. The type of reference book you would use is a dictionary. Dictionaries contain definitions of words that are arranged alphabetically. After you have searched the UNH Catalog and located the Webster’s Dictionary on the shelf by the Reference Desk, you find that the definition of forensic science is “the application of scientific knowledge to legal problems including the analysis of physical evidence from a crime scene”.

Next, you realize you wanted to find out more about the field of “forensic science”. To do this, you would need to look in a different type of reference book called an encyclopedia, as this type of book has articles that summarize many different topics. After reading the entry in the encyclopedia, you decide you would really like to learn more about the field of forensic archaeology. To do this, first you would use a subject specific encyclopedia, such as the Encyclopedia of Forensic Science. Then, if you wanted to find chapter articles or books that were written about this field you would search the UNH-Catalog.

As you can see, there are many types of books that you might need to find different types of information. Recently many of these books are also published in an electronic format so that the information can be accessed without physically coming to the library.  We will discuss electronic books and how to use them in another article.  And don’t forget, you can always contact a librarian through via email: LibraryHelp@unh.edu, by phone 203.932.7189 or in person at the Reference Desk during all hours of operation for any additional questions you may have about using books or completing research.

By JOAN CLARK

MARVIN K. PETERSON LIBRARY

As ownership of smartphones and tablet computers continues to grow, the UNH Library resources are keeping pace by offering apps and mobile sites to make research even easier and faster, at anytime, and from anyplace. Need to search for an article to use in a research assignment? Some of the databases which the Library subscribes to offer apps which can be downloaded for free to Apple mobile devices, like the iPhone and iPad, as well as to Android-based devices. Other databases offer mobile versions of their sites. These mobile sites are designed, or optimized, to display content on the smaller screen size of mobile devices, like smartphones and tablets. These sites are typically versions of the main website which have been streamlined to increase the usability and download speed on a mobile platform. Mobile sites can be accessed by any device that has a Web browser available to it, including Blackberry and Windows Mobile platforms. Databases from EBSCO, JSTOR, Gale and Emerald all offer apps, mobile sites, or in some cases both, to make it easy and convenient for you to search for articles using your smartphone or tablet.

A tablet computer can be a great device for reading the content of some of the UNH Library e-book collections. Download the AccessMyLibrary College Edition App from the App store or Android market and view an impressive iBooks-like display of the covers of thousands of electronic reference books from the Gale Virtual Reference Library.  These specialized reference books can provide excellent background information for your research topic. The CRCnetBASE Mobile App is a great way to access the UNH Library’s collection of Criminal Justice e-books from the FORENSICnetBASE/ Law ENFORCEMENTnetBASE collection and Engineering e-books from the ENGnetBASE collection. Download this free app by pairing your device. This can be done automatically by accessing the UNH wireless network with you mobile device or it can be done manually by obtaining a passcode while you are on the CRCnetBASE site from one of the UNH Library computers.

Many useful Internet websites such as USA.gov, Nature, ChemSpider and WorldCat offer mobile versions of their websites. Like database mobile sites, these versions have a simplified display which makes them easier to navigate and quicker to download on the smaller screen of a smartphone or tablet. More and more websites are offering mobile versions or apps every day. For a detailed description of the many research apps and mobile sites available, visit the Guides page of the UNH Library website and search for the guide called “Mobile Device Resources” or go to http://libguides.newhaven.edu/mobile. If you need more information visit the Information Desk at the Library or call us at 203-932-7189.

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As a recent graduate myself, and from working with students of all ages and levels, I understand that Google is the first place everyone in the US uses to look up information.   It has become synonymous with looking up information, and it looks like this will not change anytime soon.   This isn’t going to be an article on why you shouldn’t use Google, and to be honest with you, as a reference librarian I frequently use Google and find a lot of valuable information from it.  However, please keep this in mind; Google only indexes, or links, roughly 10% of all the content available on the web, meaning nearly 90% of the web is hidden from search engines.  This is called the “invisible web.”  The majority of the information found on the University of New Haven Library homepage and scholarly literature is found on the invisible web, and could be useful for your assignments and is often required by professors.

If you use Google, we suggest using Google Scholar (www.scholar.google.com).   Google Scholar will search for scholarly articles, theses, dissertations, and Google books.  A quick search on the topic of “WWII,” produced over 78,000 results, containing mostly journal articles and books.  Google books has scanned a wide range of books on all topics, and although nearly every book is missing some pages (due to copyright infringement), the majority of the publication is available to read online for free.   While writing my master’s thesis, I used Google books to help me find relevant books on my topic.  However, after I read sections of the book, if I chose to use it in my paper, I went to the library and borrowed it.  If the library did not have it, I used Interlibrary Loan to get the book.  For those of you who don’t know, Interlibrary Loan is a service provided by nearly every academic library in the country.  If you are looking for a book, and we don’t own it, through interlibrary loan, the library can get the book or journal article for you within 2-14 days, free of charge.  Basically, the library will borrow it from another university library for you and you can pick it up at our library.

Google Scholar also indexes journal articles.  Again, they will cover a wide variety of topics and subject areas, from most publishers.  Although some may be full text, the majority of the articles will only provide only the abstracts or summaries of the articles (that copyright infringement thing again).  If you are using Google Scholar and come across an article you wish to view and only the abstract is provided, you can check the library’s resources to see if we have it full-text online.  Let’s say you found the abstract for an article from the journal, American History, but it is not available full-text.  First, write down all the citation information for the article, then go to the library homepage and select the journals link on the left side of the page.  The journals link is a searchable list of all the journals available through the UNH library in print or electronically, and will tell you if we have a specific journal or magazine, the dates from which it is available, and will provide a link to access the journal.   In the search box, enter “American History” (this is the journal’s title, not the articles title).  If we have the journal, and in this case we do, it will appear in a link to one of our databases.  Select the link, chose the correct issue of the journal, chose the correct article, and you will have it full-text in no time.  I know many of you are thinking this process will take a long time, but honestly, it takes longer to describe it than to actually physically do it.  Please be aware, the library does not own every journal and every article, meaning your article may or may not be available full-text.  If it is not available full text, you can always use interlibrary to get the article.

Remember, the librarians are here to help you and we want to do whatever we can to ensure you find the research you need.  If you have any questions or need help please stop by the Library’s Information Desk, call the Information Desk at (203) 932-7189, or email us at libraryhelp@newhaven.edu