Start at the Library’s homepage: https://evergreen.edu/library
Use the main search bar to enter an author, a title, or a general subject that you’re looking for.
- Browse some of the results: Are these the types of resources that you’re hoping to find?
- Use the limiters on the left sidebar to narrow your search by full-text access, peer-reviewed journal articles, subject, resource type, publication date range, or language.
You can also use the Advanced Search option to the right of the main search bar to create a more specific query.
- Scope: At the top of the search criteria, note that you can decide where to conduct the search. The catalog’s default is to search Evergreen + Summit, which includes resources from an extensive alliance of PNW libraries that can be delivered physically or electronically. “Articles and more” offers the broadest scope and will include resources that can be requested through Summit or Interlibrary Loan (ILL).
- Connectors: You can connect terms with Boolean operators AND, OR, and NOT to combine or exclude terms in a search. [media AND anxiety] will show results with both terms; [media OR anxiety] will show results with either term; [media NOT anxiety] will show results with the first term but not the second term.
- Punctuation: Use quotation marks around a phrase (e.g. "art therapy") to keep these search terms together as one semantic unit. The search filter "is (exact)" functions the same as quotation marks. Use an asterisk after a root (e.g. activ*) to search all words that begin with that root (e.g. activist, active, activism, activity).
Once you submit a search, browse the results. You may see a variety of formats -- streaming video, print books, e-books, and more. Use the left side bar limiters again at any point to further narrow the search.
When you find an item that you’re curious about, click the item title to view the detailed record.
- You’ll see detailed information about the resource, as well as one or more options to access the full text.
- For a print book in Evergreen’s collection, refer to the availability status and the call number under the heading “Location Items” to find the book in the stacks.
- For electronic resources, such as online journal articles or e-books, click the option to “View Online” where you should be able to view and download the full text.
- If an item is owned by another library, look for the option to “Get it from other locations,” whether that means requesting the delivery of a physical book for pickup or the delivery of an electronic resource by email.
Keep track of the resources that catch your attention by using the tools under the “Send to” header --
- save the citation and the permalink, or
- email the record to yourself
Remember that research is a process of trial and error. Experiment with different search terms and strategies to see what works best for your topic.
Questions? Email, chat, or visit the library staff in-person at the Research Desk, and we’ll be glad to work with you.
