Distance Learning Services at James Earl Carter Library
If you have never taken a Distance Education course before, or if you are returning to college after a significant absence, you may be surprised to learn how much research you can do from any reasonably up-to-date home computer. The Information Age allows millions of students all over the world to pursue in-depth academic study while still managing to work full-time and raise a family. James Earl Carter Library makes every effort to provide as many of the same services to Distance Learners as it offers to on-campus students. Those services are briefly outlined here. For more information, please contact the library.
Many information sources and services are available from off-campus. These include:
- Accessing abstracts and full-text articles on any subject
- Accessing the JECL catalog
- Checking books out at other University System of Georgia Libraries
- Receiving assistance from the JECL reference librarians
- Placing a hold on an item
- Requesting an Interlibrary Loan (ILL)
- Learning what books have been written on a particular subject
- Accessing full text encyclopedia articles
- Learning how to cite a given source for a paper
- Searching the Internet
As indicated above, some research sources and services are only available in the library itself. They include:
- Checking out books
- Getting photocopies of articles or texts
- Using the microfilm or microfiche collections
- Using certain GALILEO databases
- Receiving Bibliographic Instruction
Off-campus research resources and services
Accessing abstracts and full-text articles on any subject. There are several databases on GALILEO that allow you to search for full text articles on almost any subject, and there are many more that allow you to look for abstracts of articles. The most popular are Academic Search Premier, ProQuest Databases, MLA Bibliography, and ERIC, although there are many more. Please see the "Basic Guide to Library and Online Research" page for more information. Off-campus users who are students or employees of GSW may request the current GALILEO password by asking at the Circulation Desk, by calling (229-931-2259), or by emailing the library. The password can also be obtained online.
Access to online library catalogs of all GALILEO member libraries. Click on Library Catalogs on the GALILEO home page to access individual catalogs of most academic and public libraries in the state.
Checking books out at other University System of Georgia Libraries. All currently enrolled students who have valid identification from any USG institution may check books out at other USG libraries.
Reference Service. A librarian is on duty at JECL whenever the library is open. Please contact a reference librarian by phone, e-mail, or fax if you need assistance in performing research.
Placing a hold on an item. If you are accessing GIL from a remote location and find a book you would like to check out, you can place a hold on the item to ensure that it will be available when you arrive. When doing this, you should still call or email before driving to make sure the book is available. The hold request is good for any item from the circulating collection (i.e. the collection available for checkout) which includes any item in the Main Collection as well as most of the items from the Audio/Video collection and the Rare Books Room.
Interlibrary Loan Service. If JECL does not own a copy of a specific book title or periodical article that you would like to read for your research project, they can borrow the item from another library in a service called Interlibrary Loan (ILL). You can make a request for an ILL online, but you are required to pick it up in person. Public libraries usually provide ILL service, also.
Access to the world's most comprehensive book catalogs. There are several databases which allow you to find out what books have been written on a particular subject. The two most frequently used databases for this on GALILEO are Books-in-Print (books currently available for purchase) and WorldCat which includes records for books, audio-visual material, Internet sites, and archives owned by libraries around the world.
Accessing full text encyclopedia articles. The two main full text encyclopedias on GALILEO are Encyclopedia Britannica (the classic in the field, now available online) and AccessScience, an encyclopedia dedicated to all branches of scientific study. Both encyclopedias feature links to related Internet sites that have been examined by the editors of the encyclopedia for accuracy and quality of content.
Learning how to cite a given source for a paper. There is a general guide for how to cite an article or book in a variety of styles available on GALILEO. Some databases provide a pre-written citation for their articles. If you have a more complex need that cannot be answered from GALILEO or the database, the JECL owns the most recent copies of all major citation guides and the librarian on duty will be glad to assist you.
Searching the Internet. There are currently more web pages on the Internet than there are humans on the planet, so it is possible to find information on almost any conceivable subject. However, the information is not always reliable. If you are not an experienced web user and would like to learn more about how to find reliable information, try some of the Internet tutorials we recommend.
On-campus only resources and services
Checking out books (including Interlibrary Loans [ILLs]). Books must be checked out in-person. While it is possible to put a "hold" on an item using email, the JECL will only allow pick-up of an item from our own collection, or of an ILL item, to students coming by in person with a valid photo ID and student account. We do not mail, fax, email, or in any other way deliver our holdings to students home addresses.
Getting photocopies of articles or texts. As with the above, JECL does not make copies of articles or books for students; they must do this themselves. In addition, JECL will not place an ILL request for an article if it is available in print or microform at this particular library. This policy is due to a combination of limited staff, budgetary restraints, and copyright regulations.
Using the microfilm or microfiche collections. Holdings on microfilm include every issue of the New York Times (1851-to present) and the Atlanta Constitution (1868-present) as well as many other newspapers, magazines, almanacs and other media. Holdings on microfiche include hundreds of magazine and journal titles, thousands of government documents, and of special interest to Education majors, more than 450,000 publications from Education Research Information Clearinghouse (ERIC). Just as with print editions, if a copy of a document is available at JECL on microfilm or microfiche, we can not order it through Interlibrary Loan, mail, fax, or otherwise deliver it to a student's home address. However, you may be able to get the source at another library near you or through your public library's Interlibrary Loan service.
Using certain GALILEO databases. While the vast majority of GALILEO's 200+ databases and information sources are available in their entirety from any computer (so long as you have the current password), a few sources are not. These include the LexisNexis database (a database which provides full text newspaper stories from around the world as well as company reports, medical journals, and many other sources of current and reliable information), Genealogy, and Current Contents. If you need to use one of these databases and visiting the GSW campus is not an option, you may be able to access them from a local public library.
Bibliographic Instruction. The faculty and staff of JECL conduct periodic lectures in library instruction in order to teach students and faculty how to use GALILEO and the library catalog more effectively. These are available free of charge. In addition, the reference staff can give you personalized guidance if you would like to make an appointment for a one-to-one session.
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