It’s finals time at Touro. Here are a few tips for changing up your study routines, maximizing your ability to retain information, and using library resources you may not have known about, to ace those finals!
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Student Research Fellowship Grant Program- Summer ’21
Attention all students and professors!
Are you interested in receiving support to conduct your own research project this summer that will hone your academic skills and enhance your career prospects?
Touro has announced a grant program for student-led summer research projects across the Touro College & University System. The competition is open to all students (from our Undergraduate, Graduate, and Professional Schools) at the four major campuses, Touro College, Touro University California, Touro University Nevada, and New York Medical College. Accepted applicants will receive a stipend to support their work. Projects are student-initiated and completed under the guidance of a faculty mentor.
Find all the details on the grant, and apply (before July 9th) here:
https://www.touro.edu/departments/research/research-support/student-research-support/
Get help from the library
If you have questions about the research process, finding and evaluating sources, citation, or practically anything else during the course of your research, the Library has you covered! Our librarians are available for one-on-one assistance via our Ask a Librarian service. You can chat with us, call us, email us, or tweet us. Need help beyond a quick question? Schedule a (remote) research consultation with us!
And be sure to check out our libguides on:
- Conducting a research project
- Citation
- ProQuest RefWorks
post contributed by Kirk Snyder, Open Educational Resources & Instruction Librarian.
New Books at Lander College for Women Library
The library at Touro’s Lander College for Women recently added a great deal of interesting new books. In this post, I introduce some of the titles and take us through the work and considerations that go into ordering books for a library’s collection.
Some factors we consider when ordering books include: (1) Mission Statement, (2) Collection Development policy, (3) managing collegiate relations with Professors who can recommend purchases, (4) each branch curriculum focus, (5) guidelines noted in the Touro College Library staff Wiki on how to order and weed books to make room for new acquisitions (6) cultivating academic interests in editing books, researching & writing books, and book reviewing which helps the acquisition process and (7) fielding reference questions at Lander College for Women, making one familiar with course syllabi and curriculum.
Academic subject interests cultivated by librarians
Thirteen of these new titles added to the collection are published by Littman Library of Jewish Civilization, five of which, including Huss’ The Zohar Reception and Impact, I reviewed for various journals. Eight of the new Jewish Studies books are published by Brill Press, six of which I reviewed.
Thus our librarian’s own scholarship and book reviewing are often assets in keeping a pulse on academic disciplines. For instance, a tincture of my published, peer-reviewed work can be found at: Touro Scholar and Facpubs. See also AJL Proceedings, referenced in RAMBI, along with popular reviewing sources like Choice, and Jewish Book World.
Building up areas related to Womens’ history
We strive to beef up our collection in works relating to Women in all academic disciplines. My book reviewing and scholarship assists in this process; I reviewed the following for the journal Women in Judaism: The Rabbi’s Daughter and the Midwife. , Chaya T. Halberstam’s Law and Truth in Biblical and Rabbinic Literature. , Rav Hisda’s Daughter, Book 1: Apprentice: a Novel of Love, the Talmud, and Sorcery. , Kempner, Aviva. Yoo-Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg ; Merin, Tamar. The Rise of Israeli Women’s Fiction; Fried, Mindy. Caring for Red: A Daughter’s Memoir; Haredim-Religion.com. Israel . In the peer reviewed music journal Notes: Quarterly of the Music Library Association, I reviewed a work on the musician Sara Levy. Featured in the new books photo is Rebbetzin Vichna Kaplan: The Founder of the Bais Yaakov Movement in America and The Martyrdom of a Moroccan Jewish Saint.
We try especially to purchase books in the area of women’s history to bring from the margins to center stage the often discriminated place of women in history as noted in a podcast discussing my recent publication, Gluskin Family History, which was reviewed by Rabbi Yitzchak Breitowitz of Ohr Sameach Yeshivah of Jerusalem on the Jewish Book World blog.
Thus a host of factors noted in the above desiderata, go into the process of ordering books, thereby expanding our collection for current and future readers.
-post contributed by David Levy, Chief Librarian, Touro Lander College for Women Library.
How to Find a Missing Article
When you’re hot on the trail of an article and suddenly the link is broken or the piece mysteriously vanishes, what can you do? Don’t panic! Here are a few things you can try:
Go directly to the database
If you are searching for an article in the QuickSearch bar on the Libraries website, and clicking on the link takes you to an error page, try going directly to that database and performing a search there. You can also take your search terms to other databases related to the subject you are researching, as the article might be available in a different place.
Check for open access options
Like the many Touro faculty who share an open access version of their publications in Touro Scholar, the authors of the paper you are looking for might also have shared their paper in an institutional repository. You might be able to locate an open access version of the article via a search in Google Scholar or by going directly to the institutional repository of the institution with which the authors are affiliated.
Contact a librarian
You don’t have to search alone! If you are having a challenging time finding the article you are looking for, reach out to your campus librarian for assistance. We can help you explore other places where your article might be hiding or help you find another option that suits your research needs.
Email the author
The author of the article you are looking for might be able to send you a copy of it via email. Many researchers are happy to share their work with students and colleagues, but remember that not everyone is able to do so, especially at this time; be patient if you try to get the article this way, and consider other options, especially if you need the article soon.
Request it through Interlibrary Loan
Because many libraries have closed their physical locations during the pandemic, interlibrary loan is limited at this time. Consider this your last choice option if you are not able to track down the article using any of the other approaches listed here and be prepared to seek other options if your request cannot be fulfilled.
ProQuest Research Companion
ProQuest Research Companion supports information literacy, writing, and research skills instruction, providing a companion to instruction sessions and allowing librarians and instructors to focus on teaching more complex research and writing principles.
Developed by writing instructors and librarians, ProQuest Research Companion is comprised of ten learning modules and five interactive tools—all designed to automate the key elements of the research process.
Once you sign in with your TouroOne credentials, you’ll find videos, tools, and recommended resources to help you “Find Information,” “Evaluate Information,” and “Use Information.” The modules start by sharing how you can begin your research project and select a topic and progress through the steps to reflecting on your project and how you can improve.
Whether you are an experienced researcher or just starting your academic journey, ProQuest Research Companion can be a helpful tool.
Annual Library Customer Satisfaction Survey 2020
What a year it has been! Despite the challenges 2020 has brought, the Touro Libraries have been working hard to support Touro’s students, faculty, and staff with research help, information literacy instruction, and more. We have tried some new services and carried on with some existing ones, and now, we want to know what you think of these offerings.
If you have utilized the Touro Libraries online or in-person during 2020, we invite you respond to our annual survey here: https://tourocollege.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3vYTqTdOj19eVpz. This survey will also pop up when you visit the Libraries website.
We value your feedback, and we look forward to continuing to provide excellent, engaging service to the Touro community in 2021 and beyond.
Welcome to a new semester!
Welcome to a new semester at Touro! The Touro College Libraries are thrilled to share this exciting time with you and have put together a short video to celebrate this new beginning. Whether you are new to Touro or a returning student, we hope you enjoy it!
The Touro College librarians are always here to help. Contact your campus librarians or start with some of our most popular resources:
- For Students Guide
- College Writing Guide
- Citing Sources Guide
- Student Guide to Online Library Resources
Good luck!
Unlocking Links with LibKey
Do you need a journal article faster than you can say “database”?
You’re in luck! The TC Libraries are excited to share LibKey, which allows easy access to PDF downloads when using the QuickSearch function on the TC Libraries homepage.
As part of the Libraries’ BrowZine subscription, LibKey’s quick access means you can skip the work of navigating to the database and checking for access to an article there or seeking out an open access version. There is nothing you need to do to turn LibKey on; it is automatically enabled.
And, if you’re on the move, LibKey Nomad is an extension which allows you to find full-text articles in the Touro Libraries databases via citations across the web, from PubMed to Wikipedia. Once you have installed the extension in your browser, the LibKey icon will appear by links on other websites, allowing you to see if there is an available article.
For help with your research at any stage, from finding articles to crafting citations, contact the Touro College Libraries or check out our Research Guides.
Introducing “UAsk…WeAnswer!”
Do you engage in the time-honored tradition of staying awake throughout the night to prepare for exams or produce written assignment? Perhaps you need the quiet of the small hours, or the focus that only a fast-approaching deadline can provide. Would you rather start your work when all the people around you are fluffing their pillows and ducking under their blankies? Only you (and possibly your family, friends, and significant other) know if you are a night-owl. There is no shame in your game! But what do you do when the world is on a 9-5 schedule and you are not?
Don’t worry — the Touro Libraries have got you! We offer remote reference through “U Ask…We Answer!” an instant messaging service powered by Springshare Library Software and your helpful Touro Libraries librarians. We are online 12/24 (9 to 9 EST, or thereabouts) 5 days per week, waiting to Chat with you. You can reach us from the QuickSearch results page, by clicking on the “Chat Live” tab located at the upper right corner:
Or by clicking the Ask-A-Librarian image in the upper right corner of the Libraries homepage:
When we are online, the Chat portion of the page will contain several blank text fields. We request your name, Touro email address, campus location and question. This information will be transferred to the librarian waiting online, at the ready to assist.
But what happens when we are not online, and you still have a question? You have some options. You can always email us your question, and we will email you with a written response. To do this, click on the email icon:
A form will magically appear where you can input your question and email address.
You will receive your answer within 24-48 hours.
Yikes! That’s a long time, especially when time is of the essence. But as I said, we’ve got you! If you didn’t reach us on Chat because you didn’t think of your question until after midnight, there is a second option.
You can search the FAQs (frequently asked questions) contained in the UAsk… WeAnswer! knowledge base.
When we are offline, put a keyword in the blank text box and search. Questions previously asked using that keyword will be returned, and you can review any or all answers.
You also have the option of searching the knowledge base at any time, even when we are on Chat, by clicking on the question mark icon.
This search will give you access to all the previously asked question and answer sets (asked by actual Touro students, faculty, alumni and staff), but arranged by popularity and currency.
You can search by keyword, topic, or, if you are in the mood, browse through all question and answer sets. As more questions are asked, additional FAQs will be added to the knowledge base. Hopefully, this will increase the likelihood that your question will be included. While you might not find the answer to “How do I get the PDF of an article I need right now?” the FAQs will explain why it wasn’t in the databases and further action for you to take to obtain it. At 2 a.m., it’s sure better than nothing.
This post was contributed by Carol Schapiro, Librarian, Midtown Library
What’s new with RefWorks? August 2020
On August 11, Ex Libris/ProQuest provided a quarterly update about RefWorks, a citation manager to which the Touro College Libraries subscribe and one which we recommend for organizing research at all levels. There were some key changes and additions that will make navigating RefWorks easier — but your librarians are always available to help you, too.
A new “Top Frequently Asked Questions” page has been added to the Customer Knowledge Center (a site with information about and support for common RefWorks issues):
If you have worked with RefWorks recently, you may have noticed that the APA 7th edition has been added, but that there are several styles to choose from. ProQuest has added information to the Customer Knowledge Center about the different versions of APA 7th.
If those options do not suit your needs or the needs of your students, you can create (or request the creation of) an institutional version of the APA 7th edition citation style and mark it as a favorite. RefWorks administrators can also create citation styles for specific departments or classes.
The final key update from the presentation is particularly good news for everyone working from home: the RefWorks Citation Manager (RCM) add-on is now available for Word Online (i.e., the version available when working in Box) and can be installed from the Microsoft store.
Within RCM, users can now toggle the bibliography on and off, so that a file will load faster when you are working online — you just need to make sure to leave it “on” when you are finished and ready to submit!
For more information on RefWorks, please see our guide to ProQuest RefWorks or schedule an appointment with a librarian.
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