SWO 201 - Introduction to Social Work 

Q          Can you access the resources and journals from home?

A          You can access any of the databases that have the “remote access” icon next to their names, though you will need to log in with your last name and barcode.  Most of the journals that we have online can be accessed at home as well.  Call us (780-4272 Portland, 780-5344 Gorham) if you have technical difficulties during reference hours, and we may be able to help.

Q          What are the hours of the library on the weekend?

A          This semester, the libraries are open in both Portland and Gorham are open Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.   (Reference service is available 10-6 Saturdays and 2-10 Sundays in Portland.)

Q          What is the best search engine to use? 

A          If you mean which of the library databases is best, I’d say that for this class probably Social Work Abstracts or Social Services Abstracts are the most useful, though I also included Maine Newsstand on your course guide in case you want to look up information about local organizations, which is not likely to show up in the scholarly journals indexed by Social Work Abstracts or Social Services Abstracts.

            If you mean which of the search engines for searching the “open web” is best, that’s a matter of personal preference.  Personally I use Google, but I think the most important thing is probably getting to know a search engine well enough to make good use of its features.

Q          Which floor should I go to in order to study or do homework?

A          A lot of people really enjoy the Great Reading Room on the 7^th floor, which has a Quiet policy, and I personally like the Forest Ave side of the fifth floor, where there are comfy chairs that face the Back Cove.  If you need a group study space where you can talk and spread out your stuff, there are group study rooms on the third and fifth floors that have a self-service reserve system; they can also be used on a walk in basis if they’re not already reserved.

            The second and third floors tend to be a bit noisier than the upper floors because of the number of computers and the amount of patron-staff interaction.

Q          Do we have to pay to print?  If so, how much?  Do the computer labs close before the library does?

A          Printing all over campus is 4 cents per page, debited from your USM Card. (More about that at http://www.usm.maine.edu/usmcard/funds.htm ).

Q          How can I make sure I’ve used enough sources to get the most accurate information?

A          Tough question, and one I don’t think I can answer completely.  But a few considerations would be: Is your information current?  Are the authors/journals/publishers authoritative? Are you missing major theorists or works that you should have consulted? (your professor can possibly give you an idea, or you can consult an overview article in a subject encyclopedia or other reference to find out what the “seminal” works on the subject are).   

Q          Can the librarian help me with APA formatting?

A          Yes, but mostly by directing you to sources that can help, such as the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, http://citationmachine.net/ , and features in some of the databases that format your citations for you.

Q          Is there help if you need someone to proofread your paper before you turn it in?

A          The library doesn’t really provide these services, but there is help available on campus.  According to the Learning Foundations website at http://www.usm.maine.edu/lap/portland.htm  , “writing tutors will help you at any point in the writing process, from brainstorming to final editing.”  In Portland, Learning Foundations is in Luther Bonney Hall; in Gorham, there are some times when writing tutors are scheduled in the library in Bailey Hall.  For more information, call 780-4228 (Portland) or 228-8224 (Gorham).

Q          When is the best time to come in?  Should I call and make an appointment?

A          This semester, Portland Reference is open 8 a.m-11 pm Monday-Thursday, 8-8  Friday-Saturday, and 2-10 pm on Sundays, so someone should be able to give you brief/basic help in person, by phone, or via chat (click on the Ask-a-Librarian button on our web pages) during those times. 

            If you feel like you need more extended help or want to make sure that I’ll be available, it’s a good idea to call or email me to make an appointment.

Q          How do I access online journals outside the library?

A          If you already have a specific journal in mind, you can click the “journals” button on the USM Libraries homepage (http://library.usm.maine.edu/ ).  This will take you to a page where you can search for online journals by their titles to see which issues we have.

Q          If I get a lot of the same articles in different databases, is there a way to find more articles instead of the same ones over and over?

A          There are a couple of things you can try:

Look at the official subject terms for one of the useful articles you’ve found; if one of them is a synonym or quasi-synonym of the term you’ve been using, try searching it instead. [The official subject terms may be labeled descriptors, subject, or subject headings.] 

Take out phrases with prepositions in them – instead of  “women’s satisfaction with their marriages”, try “marital satisfaction AND women” or “marriage AND satisfaction AND women”.

If you try these things and keep seeing the same citations, it usually means that either: a) there isn’t much written on your topic, and you’ve been thorough enough to turn everything up, or b) your search is too narrow (you’ve looked for information from Portland Maine when you’ll be lucky to find information from Maine at all) or has some other kind of “fatal flaw” (you’ve misspelled one of your key concepts so the only citations you’re finding are ones in which it’s also misspelled).  Call us.

Q          What is the time frame for Interlibrary sharing?

A          There are three categories of Interlibrary sharing for books:  If you find a book in URSUS or in MaineCat and request it that way, it should be here in less than a week.  If you have to make an ILLiad request for a book outside Maine, it may take longer, especially if it has to travel a long distance by mail.  Journal articles, on the other hand, are sent electronically; you can generally expect them in 2-5 business days.  (more information at http://library.usm.maine.edu/services/borrowingother.html )

Q          If books are sent to me on Interlibrary Loan, where can they be picked up?

A          At the circulation desk of whichever library you specified when you ordered them (first floor in both Portland and Gorham).

Q          How can I get articles that are peer reviewed but available online?

A          Most of the Ebsco databases - including Academic Search Premier, ERIC, PsycInfo, Family Studies Abstracts and CINAHL – have both “full text” and “peer reviewed” as limit features, so if you select both you can retrieve online peer-reviewed articles.  Or use Social Services Abstracts, click the “peer reviewed” tab after submitting your search, and then use the Article Linker button to check for availability.  The journals in Social Work Abstracts and Sage Online are also scholarly, and most are peer reviewed.

Q          Where is microfilm in the library and can it be accessed on the web?

A          It is on the third floor in Glickman, first floor in Gorham, and can only be accessed in the libraries.

Q          Where is the best physical place in the library to access the kind of literature we will need for this class?

A          In Glickman, you’ll find periodicals on the third floor, most of the books you’ll be using on the fifth floor, and Reference on the second floor.

Q          I just need to be refreshed on Academic Search Premier.

A          There is an Ebsco tutorial available at http://support.epnet.com/training/flash_videos/basicSearchingAcademic.html that might be helpful.

Q          I’m not sure if I have a library card; is there a replacement?

A          Your USM card is your library card; your library barcode is the red number that begins 25022.  If you need a new USM card, you’ll have to go to the card office in the basement of Payson Smith.