How To Do An Online Library Search From Home
Through the NVCC Library



 
Registered NVCC students can access the NVCC library search tools from a home computer. The following steps send you to the appropriate library page and get you started on a search once you have set up remote (off-campus) access for your computer. Print this page and follow the directions.  1. From the NVCC web site select Libraries and Resources. 

2. On the Libraries and Resources page select Set up access from off campus and follow the directions found there.

3.  Print the pages of directions and keep them on file and follow directions to set up remote access. This process will take you about a half hour. 
At this point if you have any problems, please contact me or follow directions on those pages about whom to contact in case of problems. 

4. When you have finished this step you are ready to use the library search tools. The following directions will walk you through the use of one of several search tools. You should then try other sources on your own.

  • In the first drop down menu box, click on the arrow to see the menu for Library Resources. Select Magazine and Newspaper Indexes - Search for Articles. Then click on GO.
  • When you get to the Magazine and Newspaper page, go to the drop down menu box. Cambridge Scientific Abstracts, Medline, and Science Source are good source for science articles. For your first search, select Cambridge Scientific Abstracts and click on GO.
  • Select Biological and Medical Sciences for this search; then click on Quick Search on the left hand side of the screen. When you are not sure which subject area to search, go to Help. 
  • On the next screen you will further refine your search. Type in your topic request (e.g. Daphnia and temperature). Make these selections for the remainder of the blanks and drop down menus: Select AS KEYWORDS, From 1980 - 2000 for the dates, Sort by RELEVANCY RANK, Show CITATION and ABSTRACT. Select the Biological Sciences database for your search.
  • Your Search Results should turn up numerous titles and abstracts on this topic.  The keys to the abbreviations are:
        • TI = title 
          AU = author 
          SO = source (i.e., the journal the article was published in) 
          AB = abstract.
    Your results show abstracts, not the full article. In order to use as a reference in your written  paper you should have the full text. Jot down the title and go back to the library page. From the first drop down menu select Full Text Periodicals - Locate a title online to try and find the full article. Note that not all of the journals will be available. However, you may be able to find them elsewhere if you believe the article to be important for your final paper. You can also go online to the Alexandria Campus, or to any of the other campus library pages and check whether paper copies or microfiche copies of that journal is available. Not all journals are available online, but they might be available at one of the campus libraries. 

    From the library page you can also search other library sources and the internet. Be sure to try that as well. 

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