In our current situation, library research has the additional complication of finding reliable information without access to the Olin Library building. Fortunately, the Library makes available to you a great many online resources.
The Library Home Page is the place to start. The links from the library pages will take you through the library proxy server when necessary, giving you access to everything that otherwise would only be available on campus. Simply Googling the name of a database you know of won’t usually get you the content Rollins pays for, so be sure to use the library links which send you through a Rollins login.
Find Anything is the search tool prominently displayed on the library website. People think of it as “Google for the Library”; it does a quick search of a large percentage of the library’s resources. It’s not 100% thorough, it’s not precise, and it can be overwhelming, but it’s great for covering a lot of ground quickly. When using the Find Anything tool, it’s best to make your searches as specific as possible.
Find Books, Films, and More uses the same technology as the Find Anything search, but is pre-configured to search only the items in the library catalog: books on the shelves, e-books, CDs, videos, and such. This is more useful when working remotely than you might think: over half the library book collection is available online. Because books tend to be on broader topics than articles, you might get better results searching for bigger ideas, then looking within the book for your specifics; e.g., search on “Quentin Tarantino” rather than “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and masculinity”. Once you’ve done a search, click on “Full Text Online” under “Availability” on the left hand search bar. This will restrict the list to digital materials. You might want to further restrict the list to “Books” under “Resource Type”; this will eliminate video and other materials you might not want.
Online Research Databases are how Rollins gives you access to millions of articles as well as other information like streaming video and music, images, and statistical data. A complete list of the ones the library has available can be found through the “Find a Database by Name” link on the library home page. A database is a structured collection of information; some databases like Academic Search Ultimate, ProQuest Research Library, and JSTOR have a very broad focus, covering many different subject areas, while others, like The Philosopher’s Index, have a much more specific focus. For this paper, the broad databases are probably your best bet, but if you’re not finding enough there you might want to try some other databases. Instead of reading the whole “Database by Name” list, it’s easier to find database recommendations in the “Find Resources by Subject” guides which you can reach by clicking the center blue tab on the library home page.
Librarians are available to help you. The Ask a Librarian chat tool on the library home page is usually attended from 11-9 on weekdays, and Sundays from 1-8. You can also Schedule a Research Consultation, using the same scheduling tool as for Tutoring and Writing appointments. We can meet in-person or virtually. You can also e-mail individual librarian directly or simply email askolinlibrary@rollins.edu.
If you discover an article on your topic you’d really like to have, the library’s Interlibrary Loan service is still partially operational. Books cannot be sent from library to library in the present circumstances, but articles can be sent via e-mail links. The process might happen in minutes, but often requires a few days. If you haven’t requested an interlibrary loan before, a librarian can assist you.