Arts Administration

Today's proliferation of Web sites and Internet search engines provide a wealth of research sources not available before the creation of the Internet. One needs to be careful, however, because many of the sources easily accessed through Internet search engines, such as Google, may (and often do!) contain unreliable and/or false information. In addition, queries made using these search engines often produce a large number of irrelevant or minimally useful resources. Sorting through them can be time-consuming!

REMEMBER: using WorldCat Discovery /online library catalogs and commercially-produced subscription indexes and databases is generally a more efficient and reliable method of doing research than "surfing the Net!"

Also, REMEMBER: Work out some of your search strategy before going online! Think about your topic. Write down key terms, concepts, titles, and the names of key people / authors whose thinking or work is relevant to your topic. Be sure to include synonyms of key terms and concepts. Also, consider important geograhic locations and time periods (i.e., geogrpahic and chronological limiters).

Places to look for information:

1. WorldCat Discovery - this searches Online library catalogs and selected databases.
2. Commercial (Subscription) Databases/Periodical Indexes
3. Internet Search Engines (especially Google Scholar)

 

WorldCat Discovery - this is the box you find on the Butler Libraries Homepage!

Use to find:

• Books
• Scores
• Audio recordings
• Videos/DVDs
• Journal subscription/holding information
• Searches select subscription databases

What It Is:  A search that allows you to discover items in the Butler Libraries' collections and beyond.

What It Searches: Books, ebooks, articles, media, and more.

• All items physically located within the library
• Content from 45 of our most popular databases - Articles, E-books, and Streaming Media
• Items from other libraries worldwide that you can request through Interlibrary Loan

Top Features: 

• Options / limiters on the left allow you to narrow your search by format, author, date, and more
• Much more seamless process to request an item through interlibrary loan
• Log in with your Butler username/password for complete access to all features and online resources
• If you've used Worldcat.org in the past, you will now be forwarded to Butler's customized version when on campus

 

Electronic/Commercial Databases

Click on "Databases A-Z" on the Butler Libraries' Home Page (www.butler.edu/library)

Use to find:

• Articles in periodicals(journals, magazines, newspapers) on a particular topic. Info provided may include:
  • Bibliographic citations
  • Abstracts - i.e., brief summaries of what the articles are about
  • Electronic full-text versions of selected newspapers, magazines, and journals
• Electronic full-text versions of selected reference resources
• Use the "Find it" button from the citation of the work you desire to discover how and where you can access the journal containing the article cited OR ...
• Use the "Journals A-Z" link on the Butler Libraries' main webpage.

 

Internet Search Engines

Examples include: Google, Google Scholar, Yahoo, DuckDuckGo, Bing, Internet Archive, etc.

The Library strongly urges students to begin by searching Google Scholar! It's available from the "Databases" list.

Use to find websites containing revevant information to your topic, but BE CAREFUL! See page on this LIbGuide on "Evaluating Sources."

Interlibrary Loan

• This is a service that enables Butler students to have access to library resources NOT OWNED by the Butler Libraries.
• You must register to use interlibrary loan. You only need to do this once.
  • Go to the Library Home Page (www.butler.edu/library)
  • Click on "InterLIbrary Loan."
  • Click on "ILLiad (Interlibrary Loan)."
  • Log on with your usual Butler username and password (the one you use for e-mail and to log on to the computer lab workstations).
  • Edit your "User Profile." Be sure to use/give information for your Butler e-mail account!
  • When you have finished, click on "Submit information." Now you are ready to make ILL requests!
• When you are in WorldCat Discovery or one of the commercial databases and you find a citation to an article that you would like, click the "View Full Text" or "Request item through PALShare" or "Request Item through Interlibrary Loan" button to be connected to a link to the full-text or to interlibrary loan.