College of DuPage Library

Before information was stored on computers it was stored on microform. Pictures of documents were reproduced on film that required a special machine for viewing and printing. Although most information is now stored digitally, microforms are still a common storage device for older materials. Microfilms are on rolls and microfiche are sheets. Microfilm spools can hold over a year's worth of a daily newspaper. A microfiche sheet can hold an entire book. Our Library has microfilm of many newspapers, journals and magazines. The HRAF collection in microfiche is commonly used by Anthropology students at C.O.D. Microfilm and Microfiche reader/printers are available in the Library's Print Center.

Databases are organized collections of information that you can search on a variety of fields, like title and author's name. iTunes is a database and so is Amazon. Even your contacts list in your phone is a type of mini database. The Library has databases of articles from newspapers, magazines and journals. We also have databases of streaming videos, music and e-books. The difference between our databases and iTunes or Amazon is that our stuff is free for you to use. You can browse the library's databases here: http://www.codlrc.org/databases

An annotated bibliography is a list of citations that include brief summaries of the works being cited. Annotations are usually 100-150 words (3-6 sentences). For help on developing APA and MLA-style annotated bibliographies, consult this guide from the Cornell University Libraries: http://olinuris.library.cornell.edu/ref/research/skill28.htm

The term "full-text" means "the whole article" or "the whole book." When you are using the databases through the Library's website, sometimes you'll come across citations for articles that do not have the whole article attached. This whole article can often be located in other databases the Library subscribes to. You can click on the "Find This!" link right from the article citation to check to see if we have the full-text of the article someplace else. You can also do a search for the journal title using our Journal Locator tool to find full text. Most databases give you an option to limit your search to just full-text citations. If the full-text isn't available from our Library, we can try to get it for you through InterLibrary Loan.

Frequently, instructors will put items "on reserve" for a class– a collection of articles, a book or lab manual, videos or other materials. A Reserve item will be held at the Circulation desk where you can ask for it by title, course name or instructor name. Generally, Reserve items are only available for check-out for a limited amount of time– 1 week, 24 hours or sometimes 2 hours. Occasionally, you may be able to bring the item home with you; other times, the item may be available for in-library use only. This limited use ensures that everyone in your class has an opportunity to use the item. You can learn the check-out availability of an item by searching the Course Reserves in the Library catalog. To learn more about Reserves, visit: http://www.cod.edu/library/resources/reserves.htm

You can use the Library's website when you are on the Internet at home or at a local coffee shop, you just need a valid C.O.D. Library card. Many of our resources, like the article databases, will require that you put in your last name and your library barcode to use them from off-campus. For more information about Off-Campus Access, have a look at this useful F.A.Q.: http://www.codlrc.org/databases/help

Library cards are free for COD Students and people who live in Community College District #502. Bring photo identification and either a current schedule of classes or proof of your residence to the Library's circulation desk to get a card. If you already have a COD student I.D., you can have it activated to use as your Library card, too– simply present it at the Circulation Desk.

Student Library card will be good through September 30th of next year. Cards for community borrowers are good for three years.

Online students can apply for Library cards online! Go to the Online Library Card Application for instructions. These student cards expire at the end of the semester, but they may be renewed if you take another online course by using the renewal form.

For more information about COD Library cards, visit http://www.codlibrary.org/Library_Cards

You've got a brilliant idea. You write it down. You share it. The next day you see your brilliant idea on someone else's website and they haven't you given a single bit of credit. Zip. Zero. As if they came up with the idea themselves.

Citations are the way we give credit when use other people's ideas, words, images, etc. But it's not just about giving credit, it's also about pointing people in the right direction if they want to learn the stuff you just learned.

The dude who stole your idea should have given you credit, but it would also be cool if he had said where he got the idea so others could follow up and learn more about your other, equally brilliant ideas.

Your instructor will ask you to write out your citations in a particular format such as MLA or APA Style. Find out how to use these citation styles using the Library's Citing Sources page.