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Library FAQs (prior to COVID19)

Answers to the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about the Library and its resources. #LibraryFAQ

How do I access and use Ebook Central?

Ebook Central is an online resource containing over 26,000 full-length electronic books, available 24/7. To access Ebook Central directly from the library website, click on the "e-Books" tab. If you are signing into Ebook Central from home, you will need to login with your student number and "password for college computers" (available on your course schedule in Omnivox).

Once you are logged into Ebook Central, you can search it just like the normal library catalogue, by putting your search terms (for subject, title, author, or keyword) into the search bar in the top left-hand corner. Once you’ve found the book you want, you can either read it online or download the full book for 14 days.

If you are looking for a little more guidance on using Ebook Central, try clicking on “?” in the top right-hand corner of the screen. A new pop-up window will open up offering advice on all sorts of topics, including searching in documents, copying content, saving bibliographic information, and downloading documents.

Tags: books, ebooks, login, databases, online resources, catalogue

Which databases should I use? Which have the largest selection of scholarly articles?

All of the databases that Champlain College subscribes to have different specializations. To see the types of resources that a particular database offers, go to the “Articles” page on the library website and hover your cursor over each database title. In general, the top two databases listed (ProQuest Research Library and Gale Academic OneFile) contain the most articles from scholarly journals. For scholarly articles in French, Erudit is a good choice.

Tags: research, databases, scholarly, articles, online resources

How can I search effectively through the databases?

Academic databases are not like Google. Although you can type phrases directly into the Search bar, this approach is not likely to get you the best results for your research. Conducting a good database search requires identifying keywords for your topic, making a list of synonyms for your keywords, and entering those keywords into the Search bar appropriately. Our “Unlocking Research” guide provides detailed, step-by-step advice for doing all these things. It will help you learn how to identify keywords, how to use those keywords to form a search statement, how to conduct your search, and how to evaluate the results you get.

If your teacher has asked you to use peer-reviewed articles, remember to check the “Peer Reviewed” box on the search page when performing your search. Also use the “Full text” check box to make sure you only retrieve articles that the library has full access to.

Tags: research, databases, search strategies, online resources

Can I get access to databases that Champlain doesn't subscribe to?

For some specialized research projects, the databases that Champlain subscribes to may not be sufficient. If you need access to a database that is not available through our Library, we suggest that you visit the BAnQ’s website. As Quebec’s main public library, BAnQ provides access to a wide range of materials, including some databases not available through Champlain. View the BAnQ’s collection of online (“remote access”) materials here.

Note that you must be a member of the BAnQ before you can access these materials. If you don’t already have a membership at BAnQ, you can sign up here. Membership is free for all Quebec residents.

Tags: research, databases, online resources