Things to know about the catalog:

• It's used for finding books, DVDs, and videos in the seven NOVA libraries.
  
  
• You can search all seven NOVA libraries at once, or limit to one campus. Remember: You have access to books at all 7 libraries! If you're searching the catalog and you see something at another campus that you want, click on the link for that campus (in the Campus column) and log in using your myNOVA username & password. Be sure to select the campus at which you want to pick up the book.
  
  
• You can do several kinds of searches in the catalog, including Subject (LC Subject) and Keyword (Anywhere).

Subject (LC Subject) Searching: This is the most precise kind of search. It is based on specific words that have been assigned to topics by librarians. Do this search when you have a general topic and you know (or can easily guess) the subject heading.

Example: the official subject heading for "cooking" is Cookery.

 

Keyword (Anywhere) Searching: Do this kind of search when you don't know the specific words that have been assigned to your topic, or when you want to search a combination of topics.

Take your research question and break it down into the most important words and phrases, and use AND in between.

 

 

The NOVA libraries subscribe to a number of e-book (electronic books) collections, several of which support nursing and allied health.

How to get there:

1. From the NOVA Libraries site, click on the box in the middle of the page that says eBooks & eVideos.
   

You should see a menu that looks like this:

Things to know about eBooks:

• eBooks are electronic versions of printed books.

• You do not need to "check out" our eBooks. You can access them as long as you have an Internet connection and are a student at NOVA. If off-campus, log in using your NovaConnect username and password.

• Each eBook collection has different books. You can read the eBooks from cover to cover, view just selected chapters, or do a keyword search to find the pages that contain the information you need.

• Most collections will allow you to bookmark and print or email certain sections, but in limited quantities. Copyright restrictions do apply.
  

• Databases are the best tools for finding articles from magazines, journals, and newspapers.

• Some of our databases also have e-books.

• Databases are very expensive, but NOVA students, faculty, and staff can use them for FREE.
  
  
• Using databases from off-campus:
  Because they are expensive, the databases are only for NOVA students and staff. You must enter a user ID and password to use databases from off-campus (it should be the same ID and password that you use to access myNOVA.

Database to try:

Health Reference Center Academic

Search #1:

1. Be sure to click on Home on the orange bar the top of the page to get to the basic search screen (see picture below).

2. To find articles on how nutrition impacts teeth, try a search for teeth AND nutrition. Note that you can limit your search to full text (complete) articles, peer-reviewed journal articles, and/or articles that include images by selecting the options in the Limit Results section, under the search box:

3. Click Search. Look at your results. How many articles did you get?

- Whenever you see the words Full-text or Full-text with graphics, the complete article is available in the database. Just click on the article title or the words Full-text to access the article. See box below ("How do I find the Full-Text of an article?") for what to do when the full text is not available in the database.

After you've opened an article on your screen, you can use the Tools box to print articles (10 cents per page using your NovaCard if you're in the library), email them to yourself, or download them. Use Citation Tools for assistance in creating citations.

 

Search #2:

1. Be sure to select Browse Subjects on the orange bar at the top of the screen (see picture below).

2. Let's say you are interested in finding articles on tooth decay. In the search box, type tooth decay, then click GO. You should get a screen that looks like this:

3. Note that the offical subject heading for tooth decay is Dental Caries. Click on Dental Caries, which takes you to a screen that looks like this:

4. Note that there are over 2,000 articles in this database on dental caries. If you want, you can view all 2,000 articles by clicking on the link for Dental Caries. Clicking on the plus sign next to View Subdivisions breaks the 2,000 articles into smaller categories (see picture above).

5. Click on Care and Treatment to see articles on the care and treatment of dental caries.

6. You should get a list of articles that looks similar to this one:

Whenever you see the words "Full-text" or "Full-text with graphics" (see above), this means that the entire article is available in the database. Just click on the article title or the words "Full-text" to read it.

If full-text is not available, try the options in the box below:

There are lots of good web sites out there, but also lots of junk.

Make sure you're using a quality site (who created it? Why? How old is it? Can the source be trusted?)

Use Best of the Web to help find quality sites:

Try a search!

1. Choose Core Resources, then click on Reference.

2. Scroll down to Encyclopedias and click on Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine.

3. Click on D and scroll down to Dry Mouth.

Try another search!

1. Choose Core Resources, then click on Biomedical Links.

2. Choose CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).

3. In the middle of the page, note the Data & Statistics link.

4. Use the search box at the top right of the page or the A to Z Index to search your topic.

5. Choose amalgam fillings and safety. What kinds of results do you get?  

©Copyright Northern Virginia Community College. Last updated November 2010. Comments to Beth DeAngelo.