College of DuPage Library

Finding Books

Books will be particularly useful for researching the history of your country and the three issues.

Use the COD Library's book catalog to find books & videos. You'll need a current library card to check out books.

I-Share

I-Share allows you to borrow books from over 80 Illinois academic libraries. You must have a current COD library card, and create an account to request books from an I-Share library.

E-book Collections

Most books in these collections can also be located and accessed by searching in the Library's book catalog.

• ebrary

Collection contains many books on Mexico. Many e-books can be viewed from your computer or downloaded to your e-book reader. You need to create an account to download e-books to your device.

• EBSCO e-book collection

Collection includes some books on Mexico. NOTE: Books can be viewed by single page on a computer, or, can be downloaded to an e-book reader. You'll be prompted to create an EBSCO account. The loan period for e-books is four hours. Books can be renewed after the initial loan period expires.

• Humanities (ACLS) E-book Collection

This resource includes over 1500 full-text, cross-searchable books in the humanities selected by scholars for their continuing importance for research and teaching. Pages from this collection can be printed and emailed.

Reference Works

Reference works, such as dictionaries and encyclopedias are useful for learning about background information on topics related to Mexico.

Please note that print reference books may be used while in the library only. Online reference books may be accessed from any on or off-campus computer. You'll need a library card to access online books and articles from off-campus.
Click on the links below to access the online book/website or record/description of the print book.

Encyclopedias

"Multi-Book" Encyclopedias
Search several hundred encyclopedias at one time using these databases:

• Credo Reference
• Gale Virtual Reference Library

Single book titles

• Mexico: An Encyclopedia of Contemporary Culture and History e-book
• Early Civilizations in the Americas
  REF E61 .B46 2005

• Encyclopedia of Mexico: History, Society & Culture
  REF E61 .B46 2005

• The Oxford Encyclopedia of Mesoamerican Cultures : The Civilizations of Mexico and Central America e-book

Databases

The Library subscribes to many databases that provide access to thousands of popular and credible, scholarly journals. Many databases provide access to full-text articles, while some provide information about the article only (citation). Request (for free!) through Interlibrary Loan copies of articles to which the Library doesn't have full-text access.

Databases - Best Bets

Databases will be particularly useful for finding current information on countries and issues.

• Academic Search Complete

Multidisciplinary database covering contemporary and historical events and analysis related to cultural, political, economic and environmental issues related to Mexico.

• Academic OneFile

Multidisciplinary database covering contemporary and historical events and analysis related to cultural, political, economic and environmental issues related to Mexico.

• CulturGrams
  Culturegrams is a core reference resource on understanding the world's peoples through the documentation of the unique details of their customs, traditions, and daily life.

• History Study Center
  Primary and secondary history collections providing access to Mexico history resources. Check out the "Topic Overview" sections. Resources include full text articles and reference materials. primary source documents and multimedia sources.

• Informe
  Created exclusively for Spanish-speaking users, this full-text electronic reference tool is the first system to provide indexing, images and full text of popular Hispanic magazines -- not just translations. Also included is a thesaurus and interface that are uniquely designed for Spanish-speaking users.

• JSTOR

Articles covering historical and some contemporary issues related to Mexico. Note articles in database were published between the early 1700s and between 1-5 years ago, so it does not cover current issues.

• Military & Government Collection
  Contains 100s of full-text journal with articles covering foreign policy. Good for current events and some recent historical background information.

• New York Times
  Comprehensive digital coverage is available for this internationally renowned U.S. newspaper from 1980-present.

Websites

Who can publish on the Internet? Anyone.

You may find a website by doing a web search or through a recommendation of another student. Before you use a website for your assignment, you should evaluate the webpage for credibility, reliability, authority and purpose. Check out the CRAP Test for more information on evaluating websites.

Country Information/Facts

• CIA World Factbook

The World Factbook provides information on the history, people, government, economy, geography, communications, transportation, military, and transnational issues for 267 world entities. Our Reference tab includes: maps of the major world regions, as well as Flags of the World, a Physical Map of the World, a Political Map of the World, a World Oceans map, and a Standard Time Zones of the World map.

Economics

• The World Bank: Countries and Economies

Statical data on country economies in graphical form. Click the "Details" link to get an explanation for each country graphic.

• World Development Indicators Database: Country Profiles

Statistical information on economic, demographic, environmental and other areas.

• BBC: A Quick Guide to the US- China Trade War

Concise overview of current trade war between the U.S. and China.

• Statista

COD Database that includes statistical information, reports, - Search "China-US trade relations - Statistics & Facts" in search box. Click on "Sino-U.S. trading relationship" See "Influence of the U.S. Vs. China trade war."
Also click on the "Reports" dropdown at the top of the page, then scroll down to Country Reports

Environment (Paris Global Climate Change Agreement) – impact health, employment, industry

• UN Climate Change Newsroom
  Browse information on climate change or search for a specific country or topic using the search bar on the right side of the page.

• Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) website listing by country.
  Link to brief overview of Mexico's plan, in English.

• UN Conference on Climate Change - Paris Agreement

Links to information on the Paris Agreement, including the full text of the agreement.

• A Reader's Guide to the Paris Agreement

Article from the Atlantic Monthly magazine that interprets the major points of the Agreement

• What was agreed at COP24 in Poland and why did it take so long?

Brief overview of of the COP24 from the Guardian newspaper

Human Rights

• U.S. Department of State - Relations with Mexico
  Mexico - U.S. bi-lateral relations fact sheet that provides an overview of political, economic and immigration issues. Note the bibliography at the bottom of the page to other governmental resources.

• Human Rights Reports: Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2017 (Most recent report)
  Click on the "Go to a country report" tab and select Mexico. Scroll down to Section 6 - Indigenous People for a brief overview of current issues published by the U.S. Government.
  U.S. Department of Homeland Security
  Immigration statistics provided by the U.S. DHS

  News Sites

• Google Advanced News - Mexico
  Search news from Mexican new sources. All sources in Spanish.

  Websites from Mexico – try searching using the follow in the address bar:
  Site: mx (and then add your search terms) for example:
  Site:mx mexico agriculture GMO

Many of the following books are available electronically. You will need a current library card to access books online. Please note that some books are available for one simultaneous user only. Titles of books available in print will include the call number.

Travel Guides

• Fodor’s: Germany
  General DD16 .F6 2009

• Frommer’s Easy Guide to Germany
  General DD16 .F76 2014

• Frommer's Germany - eBook
• Germany
  General DD16 .I6 2009

• Germany
  New Books DD16 .G476 2013

• Live & Work in Germany
  General DD61 .C65 2002

• Living & Working in Germany: Settle in Quickly and Get the Most Out of Your Stay
  General DD61 .H34 2001

• National Geographic Traveler. Germany
  General DD16. N275 2007

• Rick Steve’s Germany
  General DD16. R528 2013

Art & Architecture

• Art Treasures in Germany: Monuments, Masterpieces, Commissions, and Collections
  General N 6861 .A85

• Bauhaus Women: Art, Handicraft, and Design
  General N332.G33 B4485 2009

• Germany: Architecture, Interiors, Landscape, Gardens
  General NA1061 .R5 1992

• German Art: From Beckmann to Richter: Images of a Divided Country
  General N6868 .D39613 1997

• German Expressionism: Art & Society
  General N6868.5.E9 G364 1997

• German Romantic Painting
  General ND 567.5 .R6 V38 1980

• Pop Culture Germany! -eBook

Culture & Politics

• The Cambridge Companion to Modern German Culture
  General DD204 .C36 1998

• Culture and Customs of Germany
  General DD290.26 .B47 2004

• Culture Shock! Germany
  General DD290.26 .C858 2005 & Online

• Culture Shock! Berlin - eBook
• Culture Shock! Munich - eBook
• German Culture Past and Present - eBook
• In the Know in Germany: An Indispensable Cross-cultural Guide to Working and Living Abroad
  General DD290.26 .P46 2001

• Germany: Society and Culture - eBook
• Germany: Unraveling an Enigma - eBook
• Live & Work in Germany
  General DD61 .C65 2002

• Live & Working in Germany: Settle in Quickly and Get the Most Out of Your Stay
  General DD61 .H34 2001

• Pop Culture Germany! -eBook
• When in Germany, Do as the Germans Do: the Clued-in Guide to German Life, Language, and Culture
  General DD61 .F55 2002

History & Geography

• Germany
  General DD17 .F85 2004

• Germany: 2000 Years
  General DD89 .R36 (3 volumes)

• Germany and the Causes of the First World War - eBook
• Germany Profiled: Essential Facts on Society, Business, and Politics in Germany
  General DD290.26 .G47 1999

• The History of Germany
  General DD90 .T87 1999

• A History of Germany 1918-2008: the Divided Nation - eBook
• A History of Modern Germany: 1800 to the present – eBook
• In the Know in Germany: An Indispensable Cross-cultural Guide to Working and Living Abroad
  General DD290.26 .P46 2001

• Modern Germany: Society, Economy, and Politics in the Twentieth Century - eBook
• The Peculiarities of German History: Bourgeois Society and Politics in Nineteenth-Century Germany - eBook

Videos

• Academic Video Online
  Find hundreds of newsreel footage and documentaries on Germany. Subjects include culture, politics, history and current events. Refine your search results by limiting your results to, for example, discipline, subject and historical era. These limiters are located on the left side of page.
  
• Ethnographic Video Online

Find hundreds of newsreel footage and documentaries on Germany. Subjects include culture, politics, history and current events.

• Films on Demand
  Many films on Germany, primarily from the perspective of business, current and historical footage.
  

E-book Collections

E-books are published using a variety of platforms - some can be accessed using tablet readers.

Searching Collections:

These collections can be searched by using the keyword "Italy" for broad search results. Adding keywords such as, for example, "History" or "Culture" to your search will produce fewer results but these results will be more precise.

Many, but not all, books in these collections can also be located and accessed by searching in the Library's book catalog.

• ebrary

Many e-books can be viewed from your computer or downloaded to your e-book reader. You need to create an account to download -books to your device.

• EBSCO e-book collection

Find several e-books on Italy covering various subjects such as Culture and Society, History, Politics and Literature. NOTE: Books can be viewed by single page on a computer, or, can be downloaded to an -book reader. You'll be prompted to create an EBSCO account. The loan period for e-books is four hours. Books can be renewed after the initial loan period expires.

• Humanities (ACLS) E-book Collection

This resource includes over 1500 full-text, cross-searchable books in the humanities selected by scholars for their continuing importance for research and teaching. Pages from this collection can be printed and emailed.

Databases - Best Bets

Below are databases covering Art, History and general topics. You can access these databases from the alphabetical listing of databases

• Academic OneFile

Academic OneFile is great for both popular and peer-reviewed full-text articles from the world's leading journals and reference sources, and is an excellent resource for general research.

• Academic Search Complete

Academic Search Complete provides both scholarly and popular journal coverage for nearly all academic areas of study and is a great resource for general research.

• Art and Architecture Complete

Excellent source for information on French artists, famous works of art by French artists and French art traditions.

• Credo Reference

Credo Reference is a full-text online reference service. The collection includes over three million entries from hundreds of well-regarded titles from some of world's the best reference publishers.

• CultureGrams

Culturegrams is a core reference resource on understanding the world's peoples through the documentation of the unique details of their customs, traditions, and daily life.

• JSTOR

JSTOR is an archive of digitized journal articles ranging in date from the 1700's to the early 2000's. These collections span a variety of subjects in the Humanities, Social Sciences and Physical Sciences.

• Literature Resource Center

Literature Resource Center provides access to biographies and criticism of authors from every age and literary discipline. The Literature Resource Center covers more than 120,000 novelists, poets, essayists, journalists, and other writers, with in-depth coverage of 2,500 of the most-studied authors.

• Oxford Art Online

This resource includes the full-text of:
Grove Art Online
Oxford Companion to Western Art
Encyclopedia of Aesthetics
The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Art Terms

• Project Muse

Project MUSE offers full-text current and archival articles from 500+ scholarly journals from major university presses covering literature and criticism, history, performing arts, cultural studies, education, philosophy, political science, gender studies, and more. Updated continually.

Websites - Guidebooks and Area Studies

• Condé Nast Traveller – Germany
  Free travel information for Germany, organized by city and region. Includes information on hotels, restaurants, nightlife and cultural attractions.

• Discover Potsdam
  The official tourism website of Potsdam. Offers a brief history of Potsdam and information on travel, sightseeing, and surrounding areas.

• Dresden Tourism
  The official tourism website of Dresden. Offers information on travel, lodging, events, sightseeing, and the local culture.

• Fodor’s Travel – Germany Travel Guide
  Organized by region and city, Fodor's Germany provides many useful tips for travelers in Germany. Essential German phrases for travelers, tips for eating and staying in Germany, and links to historical sites and top attractions are of note.

• Frommer’s – Germany
  Frommer's offers several notable sections on its website, including a broad overview of Germany in the Introduction section as well as quick overviews of art and architecture, food, history, and cultural activities found in the In Depth section.

• Frommer's Potsdam
  This online travel guide includes maps and information on transportation, local attractions, accommodations, and dining.

• Lonely Planet - Dresden
  A great website that offers comprehensive information on local sites and activities, hotels, and transportation.

• Lonely Planet – Germany
  Exceptionally useful website, check out the Things To Do section in particular. Many of the attractions are reviewed by the Lonely Planet staff in their irreverent but always good natured and engaging style.

• Michelin – Germany Travel Guide
  General information on traveling in Germany - note the sections labeled "Useful Information" and "History and Culture" in center of page.

• National Geographic – Germany
  Find facts, maps, photos and videos on Germany. NOTE - You will need to create an account to access all free content on this site.

• NY Times – Germany Travel Coverage
  Articles, photos and video about Germany from The New York Times, including hotel, restaurant and attraction information with reader reviews and advice on where to stay, where to eat and what to do.

• Rick Steves’ Europe – Germany
  Plenty of useful, free information from travel guide Rick Steves. This site contains tips, photos, videos, and travel information on Germany. Included are excerpts of Steves' Germany travel guide as well as photos, tips for planning trips, and travel information for specific cities and regions.

• The Telegraph – Germany
  A good for travel advice, including where to stay, where to go, and how to get there! Includes individual city guides, for Berlin, Hamburg, and Frankfurt.

• Tourism in Germany – German National Tourist Board
  A good source of information for events and attractions, culture, and other travel information.

• Yahoo Travel – Germany
  Directory arranged by "best for" categories and by city. Includes useful sections on restaurants and "What to Do" for each listed city. Provides user-written reviews.

Finding a Topic

Guess what? All the usual strategies work here. Try the following if you're lost for a topic:

• Think about class topics. What were you interested in/want to learn more about?
• Google News: check for current biology headlines and trace it back to the original research article
• New York Times Science Section: published anew each Tuesday, the section details newly published interesting research.

Putting together background information:

• Gale: Use this reference database to help yourself to understand words and concepts in the popular or scholarly articles that you don't understand.
• Catalog: Search for books on the topic to gather background info.
• Want to use websites? Remember to evaluate them for good information.

Finding Scholarly Articles

Science Direct is a database with scholarly research and review articles. Make sure that you select "subscribed journals" when searching and use limiters (on the left side of the results screen) to narrow your search appropriately. Take a look at a sample search below:

Academic Search Complete can be another good source of research articles. Be certain that you're looking at scholarly articles here.

See the full list of science databases

Critique Research

Your professor has asked that you critique the experiments you discover using library databases.

First, make sure that you've got a research, not a review, article. After that, turn to critiquing the article.

Research or Review article?

Worried that you might be reading a trade article from a scholarly article, or a review article from a scientific research article?

Start by looking for the distinctive markers of a scholarly article: are the authors' degrees or university affiliations listed? Do you see an abstract? How about charts, tables, graphs?

Once you are certain that you are looking at a scholarly article, make certain that your article is a scientific research article, by looking for the following distinctive sections:

• Abstract
• Introduction
• Method
• Results
• Discussion
• Conclusion
• References or Works Cited

Some of these sections may be merged with other sections, have slightly different names, or may not be labeled, but all should be present in one way or another.

Review articles attempt to summarize current research on a specific topic. Authors address trends in research, including what remains to be known. Review articles will usually be marked as review articles, and usually do not follow the research article structure above. They can be wonderful sources to include in your paper, though; they'll give you a clear sense of the field as a whole, and you'll be able to see how your topic compares.

Want to take a closer look at a scholarly research article? Cladophora (Chlorophyta) spp. Harbor Human Bacterial Pathogens in Nearshore Water of Lake Michigan is found on PubMedCentral, the government-sponsored free article database.

Article Critique

Your professor has asked that you critique your articles based on the types of data, the control groups, the number of subjects, the variable, and overall experiment design. For example:

• Does the way that the scientists are conducting their research answer the questions they've posed?
• Do the lab techniques being used by the researchers seem to deliver good results?
• How large was their sample size? How diverse was it (if applicable)?
• Does the data presented match the descriptions of the data?
• How well does the conclusion draw upon earlier sections of the article?

Questions? Take a look at How to Read and Critique a Scientific Research Article on reserve.

Using APA Style

Find directions about how to cite your sources on the library citation guide.

Most databases will have a Cite link that you can also click to get article citations.

Finally, you are welcome to use NoodleBib if you'd like to use a program to create and organize your citations. You must "Create a New Folder" when you use NoodleBIB for the first time. Click on "I am citing a(n):," choose the type of item you are citing, and then fill in the online form. Your bibliography will be formatted for you.

Further questions about APA style? Check out the Purdue OWL APA website, which includes sample papers.

Using CSE Style

First of all, we have a copy of Scientific Style and Format: The CSE Manual for Authors, Editors, and Publishers in the library. You'll want to head to the downstairs reference desk (2nd floor, SRC, to request a copy).

There are also many websites which will help you to format your citations in CSE style. Here are some of the best:

• The website created by the authors of the book above is here: Scientific Style and Format
• University of Wisconsin at Madison's CSE Guide
• Washington State University also has a nice (color-coded!) site
• Need help figuring out how to abbreviate your journal title? Check this list sponsored by the Web of Science or this list created by Berkeley's Library.

Plant Background Info:

The best place to get information on the plant name, cultivation, and discovery is via reference books. Check out the options below:

Best Bets:

Elsevier's dictionary of plant names and their origin REF QK13 .E565 2000

• Great taxonomic info and short origin info. A good place to start.

The A to Z of plant names : a quick reference guide to 4000 garden plants REF QK 96 .L78 2012

• Look plants up by common or scientific names. Abbreviations on page 22 and pages 21-22 explain common plant names.

Dictionary of gardening REF SB450.95 .D53 1992

• This 4 volume set includes great cultivation and description info for many plants, including a long description of how to plant and varietal information the end of each entry.

Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture

• This book also has great cultivation/scientific info.

Other great sources of information:

The American Horticultural Society A-Z encyclopedia of garden plants REF SB403.2 .A45 1997

• Best for flowering plants. Includes scientific name, cultivation, etc.

Top 100 exotic food plants REF QK98.5.A1 S62 2012

• Check for tropical plants here.

The Big Bad Book of Botany REF QK7 .L25 2014

• Check for any plant that might be deadly (Nightshade, the Venus flytrap.) Often includes 2-3 pages of info per plant.

Weeds of North America SB 613.N7 D54 2014

• Check for images of weeds, info about seeds, etc.

Finally, your local public library's children's section might have wonderful info on your plant, from cultivation info to name info to cultural info. Take a look!

Plants and Culture:

There are a number of places to find the cultural information you need. Try searching the following:

• Encyclopedia of Food and Culture: Online Via Gale and in print in reference. Search by common or scientific name.
• Encyclopedia of cultivated plants : from acacia to zinnia Online via Ebrary. Search by common or scientific name.
• Nectar & Ambrosia: An Encyclopedia of Food in World Mythology REF GR498 .A53 2000. Search by common or scientific name.
• You'll also want to search the Gale Virtual Reference Library for any plants that may be special or medicinal.

You can also check out the course reserves for this class.

You can also search the library catalog for your plant. Start with the scientific name in order to gather the most focused information. For example, see the image below:

Remember that we can request books from other libraries in Illinois. In order to do so, you'll need to create a catalog username and password.

Contact me if you have any questions about how to do it.

Finally, search the library databases.

Best bets databases are as follows:

Academic Search Complete offers a wide overview of articles you can use. Try searching with the scientific name AND culture (or AND economics). Once you know more about your plant, you can have fun: the search below will get you articles about Almond trees and California's drought.

Anthrosource has anthropology-oriented research articles. Certain plants will be well represented here. Use the tiny top right search box and the common name of the plant.

JSTOR is another good source for cultural info on your plant.

Using APA Style

Find directions about how to cite your sources on the library citation guide.

Most databases will have a Cite link that you can also click to get article citations.

Finally, you are welcome to use NoodleBib if you'd like to use a program to create and organize your citations. You must "Create a New Folder" when you use NoodleBIB for the first time. Click on "I am citing a(n):," choose the type of item you are citing, and then fill in the online form. Your bibliography will be formatted for you.

Further questions about APA style? Check out the Purdue OWL APA website, which includes sample papers.

Outrageous Claims!: Radical Ideas for the Future of Research

What would happen if we stopped teaching students how to find sources? if we abandoned the research paper as we know it? if we stopped worrying about plagiarism? if we didn't require source citations? Let's talk about these thrilling/frightening/challenging ideas and the possibilities for change they represent.
Optional Reading: “Decode Academy” by Barbara Fister
Outrageous Claims Resources: http://codlrc.org/IL/Future/Outrageous

Plagiarism-Proof Assignments

This open forum will focus on best-practices for creating assignments that do not allow for student plagiarism. Share your own strategies and adopt successful ideas from your colleagues.
Plagiarism-Proof Assignment Resources: http://codlrc.org/IL/Future/Plagiarism

Evidence ≠ Belief

What’s happening in public discussions about vaccination or climate change? Tired of reading research papers where students ignore mountains of evidence in their research papers in order to support their own opinions? This session will examine the recent Pew Report about public perception of science and research. It will also propose strategies to get your students to engage with research materials and —maybe— change their opinion after all.
Optional Reading: Pew Report: Public and Scientists’ Views on Science and Society

Introduction to the New Information Literacy Framework

Join the COD Librarians in a discussion about the New Information Literacy Framework for Higher Education and how we can work together to best help our students understand the importance of being literate about the information ecosystem as we see it now and in the future, what it does to learning, and how best to use and navigate through it.
Optional Reading: ACRL “Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education”
Framework Resources: http://codlrc.org/IL/Future/Framework

Think Like a Novice: Threshold Concepts in College Research

Do you remember when you learned how to "do" research? At some point, something clicked and you understood the process and could replicate it on demand - you may have even grown to love it!
That moment, when the light bulb goes off is an important part of the transition from "novice" to "master" - you have passed a threshold of understanding that is both transformative and irreversible. In this webinar, we will discuss the threshold concepts that students must be guided over in their own journeys toward information literacy mastery.
Resources: http://codlrc.org/IL/Future/novice

Finding and Using Copyright-free Multimedia

Learn how to find high-quality copyright-free images, video, and audio that can be used freely by educators and students. We’ll also discuss Creative Commons and how it’s revolutionizing the use and reuse of digital media.

Link, Stream, Embed: How to Incorporate Library Resources into Your Blackboard Course

Participants in this session will discover amazing, freely-available articles, videos, images, music and more using the Library’s electronic resources; learn how to provide access to selected content through Blackboard; and get an introduction to copyright in the online classroom.

Creative Commons and Copyright-free Media

Learn how to find high-quality copyright-free images, video, and audio that can be used freely by educators and students. We’ll also discuss Creative Commons and how it’s revolutionizing the use and reuse of digital media.

MLA 8th Edition: What's New? What's Different?

The 8th edition of the MLA Handbook is out and guess what? The guidelines for documenting sources have changed!
MLA now recommends one universal set of guidelines which can be applied to any source, regardless of the format – book, article, video, even Twitter tweets!
Learn about MLA’s radical new approach to building works-cited list entries before Noodlebib, Purdue OWL and even our own Citing Sources page make the switch from Seventh edition to Eighth. This session covers the new concepts of MLA Core Elements and Containers, plus other significant changes.
Webinar Resources: http://codlrc.org/IL/Future/MLA

Think Like a Novice: Threshold Concepts in College Research

Do you remember when you learned how to "do" research? At some point, something clicked and you understood the process and could replicate it on demand - you may have even grown to love it! That moment, when the light bulb goes off is an important part of the transition from "novice" to "master" - you have passed a threshold of understanding that is both transformative and irreversible. In this webinar, we will discuss the threshold concepts that students must be guided over in their own journeys toward information literacy mastery.
Webinar Resources: http://codlrc.org/IL/Future/novice

What's Wrong with Wikipedia?

According to a 2012 Pew Research Internet Project study, the top five sources students are likely to consult for research are Google, Wikipedia, YouTube, their peers and Spark Notes. What does data about students' information sources say about their research habits and behavior? This 50 minute session will consider this question and explore classroom and assignment strategies for addressing gaps in student "research" skills.
Optional Reading: “How Teens Do Research in the Digital World”
Webinar Resources: http://codlrc.org/IL/Future/Sources

The COD Library Media Lab is a place where COD students can create and edit all kinds of digital audio, video, and images. Located on the Library's lower level, the Lab consists of ten imaging stations, an A/V editing suite, and a sound recording booth. The Lab is free for all COD students to use--you just need a valid COD Library card.

The Lab gives you access to high-powered Mac workstations and popular media production software like Adobe's Creative Cloud suite and Avid Pro Tools. You'll find high quality photo scanners, drawing tablets, a 3D scanner, DSLR cameras, microphones, and other audio peripherals.

We also have helpful lab staff who can help you get started on your projects and answer questions about our equipment. So whether you're working on a video presentation, creating images for a research paper, or creating a digital short, come in and use our state of the art equipment to get your project started today!

Media Lab Policies

Mac Pro Workstations (x2)

Engineered around workstation graphics with dual GPUs, PCIe-based flash storage, high-performance Thunderbolt 2, new-generation Xeon processors, ultrafast memory, and support for 4K video, the new Mac Pro delivers state-of-the-art performance across the board.

Specifications:

• Quad-Core and Dual GPU
• 3.7GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon E5 processor
• 12GB 1866MHz DDR3 ECC memory
• Dual AMD FirePro D300 with 2GB GDDR5 VRAM each
• 256GB PCIe-based flash storage
• Apple Thunderbolt Display - 27-inch LED-backlit wide screen display with 2560 x 1440 resolution

iMac Workstations (x4)

With fourth-generation Intel Core processors, high-speed graphics, Thunderbolt I/O, and an advanced Fusion Drive option, the Library's iMacs are incredibly powerful tools.

Specifications:

• 3.4GHz quad-core Intel Core i5
• Turbo Boost up to 3.8GHz
• 8GB (two 4GB) memory
• 1TB hard drive1
• NVIDIA GeForce GTX 775M with 2GB video memory
• 27-inch LED-backlit widescreen display with 2560 x 1440 resolution

Canon PIXMA PRO-1 Professional Inkjet Printer

The PIXMA PRO-1 Professional Inkjet Printer is a professional photo printer with great color saturation and deep blacks that provides high-accuracy and quality printing. Students may purchase photo prints sized 8.5”X11” or 13”X19” from the Media Lab service desk.

Cannon CanoScan 9000F Mark II Scanners (x4)

Enjoy high-speed scanning for everything from photos to documents, to even 35mm film while also enjoying superb quality. These are high-speed scanners with professional film scanning quality and 9600 x 9600 maximum color dpi.

Wacom Intuos Drawing Tablets

Drawing tablets offer a large digital canvas for art, painting and photo-editing projects, allowing for broad pen strokes and fluid arm movements.

Specifications:

• Active Area: 8.5 x 5.3 in
• Physical Size: 10.75 x 8.75 x 0.4 in
• Pressure Levels: 1024 on pen tip with eraser

Audio Interface Devices

Record high quality audio with our studio microphones and professional quality audio interface devices. The Media Lab uses the Focusrite Scarlet 2i2 and an Avid Mbox

Specifications:

• Two XLR mic/line combo inputs with 48V phantom power
• Two 1/4" DI inputs
• 1/4" headphone output
• Monitor control section
• Dedicated monitor volume knob

EOS Rebel T7i

The EOS Rebel T7i is a simple and intuitive to use DSLR that you can use to create breathtaking photos and video with ease. The Media Lab's Rebel T7i comes in a kit with all of the lenses and peripherals you'll need to complete your project.

Camera specifications

Kit includes:

• Canon EOS T7i w/18-55mm IS STM Lens
• Canon EF 55-250mm IS STM Lens
• Camera Mounted Condeser Microphone

Canon Vixia HF R50 3.28 MP Camcorder ‑ 1080p

Records video footage and stills in vivid 1080p HD. Camera is equipped with image stabilizing, nightmode, and Wi-Fi capabilities.

Kit includes:

• 31GB SD card
• Carrying case
• USB adapter
• Battery Charger

LED Light Kit

Create a better image for your videos and photos with our 3-piece light kit. This light weight comes with 3 fresnel LED lights that are perfect for lighting interviews, small object photography, and more.

Specifications:

• Compact soft case
• 3 LED lights that can be run on AA batteries or off AC power
• 3 barndoors
• Orange and blue filters
• 3 mini light stands
• 3 ball head mounts
• 1 mafer clamp

Kingston Media Reader USB 3.0 (X5)

Flash memory card reader

Compatible with:

• SD/SDHC/SDXC
• CF
• microSD/microSDHC/microSDXC
• M2/MS DUO

Manfrotto PIXI Mini Tripod (X2)

Small tripod for use with compact, DSLR, or iPhone cameras.

Impact Collapsable Chroma Green Background

Portable 5’X7’ green screen ideal for shooting small objects or simple headshots. Screen is easily collapsible and comes with its own carry bag.

More Stuff!

• Condenser microphones
• Midi keyboard
• Handheld audio recorder
• Smartphone camera lenses
• Tripods

Imaging and graphics

• Photoshop: Image editing and compositing
• Illustrator: Vector graphics and illustration
• InDesign: Page design and layout for print and digital publishing
• Lightroom: Digital photo processing and editing
• Blender: 3D modeling
• Wacom drawing tablets

Video production, editing, and animation

• Premiere Pro: Video editing and post-production
• After Effects: Cinematic visual effects and motion graphics
• Handbrake: a tool for converting video from nearly any format to a selection of modern, widely supported codecs.
• VLC: Media player
• Blender: 3D modeling and animating

Audio and recording

• Apple GarageBand: Allows user to create music and/or podcasts
• Apple Logic Pro X: Apple's more advanced audio production software Allows user to create music and/or podcasts
• Audition: Audio recording, mixing, and restoration
• Audacity: Audio recording and editing

Web and device design and coding

• Dreamweaver: Web and mobile design
• Muse: Website design without coding
• Scout: Profile Flash games on web and devices
• Flash Builder: IDE for coding Flash apps and mobile device packaging

Below is a list of all software installed on Media Lab Computers

• Adobe Acrobat DC
• Adobe After Effects CC 2017 & 2018
• Adobe Animate CC 2017 & 2018
• Adobe Audition CC 2017 & 2018
• Adobe Bridge CC 2017 & 2018
• Adobe Character Animator 2018
• Adobe Dreamweaver CC 2017 & 2018
• Adobe Fireworks CS6
• Adobe Flash Builder 4.7
• Adobe Fuse CC (Beta)
• Adobe Illustrator CC 2017 & 2018
• Adobe InCopy CC 2017 & 2018
• Adobe InDesign CC 2017 & 2018
• Adobe Lightroom
• Adobe Lightroom Classic CC
• Adobe Media Encoder CC 2017 & 2018
• Adobe Muse CC 2017 & 2018
• Adobe Photoshop CC 2017 & 2018
• Adobe Prelude CC 2017 & 2018
• Adobe Premiere Pro CC 2017 & 2018
• Adobe Scout CC
• Adobe SpeedGrade 2015
• Adobe XD CC
• Atom
• Audacity
• Blender
• Brackets
• Chrome
• Firefox
• Garage Band
• GitHub Desktop
• HandBrake
• iMovie
• InVision Studio
• Keynote
• Maya
• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft OneNote
• Microsoft Word
• Micrsoft Outlook
• Micrsoft PowerPoint
• Numbers
• Opera
• Pages
• QuickTime Player
• Ricoh Theta
• Safari
• Sketch
• TextWrangler
• VLC
• Xcode

Sound Booth/Edit Suite Only

• Camtasia
• Logic Pro X
• Snagit