Most Common Questions

and how to answer them

Summer Intensive 2022

Most Common Questions

How to answer the 4 most common types of questions

Known-item searches: deep-dive into how to find stuff

Research topic questions

What kinds of questions
do RIAs help with most often?

Library Policies & Accounts

Special Collections

Finding a Known-Item

Research Topics

What kinds of questions
do RIAs help with?

Library Policies & Accounts

• Do alumni have library access?
• Can visitors study in the libraries? What hours are the libraries open for visitors?
• I have an overdue book. How do I renew it?

Special Collections

• I'm a clerk at the ______ Friends Meeting. I heard your library collects meeting records. Who do I talk to?
• I'm researching my family's genealogy
• I have a question about a Swarthmore faculty member from the 1950s.
• I'd like to see the records of Congress of Racial Equality (CORE)
• Can I access a book from the Rare Book Room?

Research Topics

• I'm writing an environmental studies paper and need credible definitions of some accounting terms: "net present value" and "discounted payback time."
   
• I'd like to learn about creative tactics used during anti-Vietnam War protests ...how do I start?

Research Guides will often be useful for answering these.

It's usually a good idea to loop in a subject librarian so the person can get additional help if they'd like.

let's take a quick break

Known-item: how to find...

Scholarly / academic journal articles

1. Search Tripod for the article title. Look for a matching result and follow links to access. (e.g. Teaching South African History in a Digital Age)
    
2. Can't find it in Tripod? Apply the search filter Include results without full text to see more results. (see this example)
   
   Click on your article title if it appears in the results. Follow the prompt to login to Tripod, then click on Request via Interlibrary Loan.
    
3. Still not seeing your article? Go to Borrow Beyond TriCo, then choose the journal article request link. Fill out the form to request a PDF of the article.

Known-item: how to find...

News articles

1. Search Tripod for the publication title (e.g. New York Times, The Economist, New Yorker), not the article title. (example search)
    
2. Look for the publication in your results. Click on the best match to continue. Find access links under "View Online." (example with links)
    
3. Can't find the publication in Tripod? Go to Borrow Beyond TriCo, then choose the journal article request link. Fill out the form to request a PDF of the article.

Find Something Specific

(a book, article, film, etc.)

Find Something Specific

(a book, article, film, etc.)

Do we have access to The Economist? Washington Post?

Tripod → Search for the publication title

* Journal Search can be helpful

Find Something Specific

(a book, article, film, etc.)

When you need a book that's not available in Tripod (currently or at all), try EZBorrow first.
 

Once you submit a request, it will usually take about a week to arrive at McCabe.

How can I read the book Salt Fat Acid Heat?

Tripod search → No results → Borrowing Beyond TriCo

→ Choose EZBorrow

→ Search for book

→ Request

Find Something Specific

(a book, article, film, etc.)

Can I watch the film Return to Kandahar?

Tripod → Search for title

Find Something Specific

(a book, article, film, etc.)

Review:

• Journal articles: search Tripod for the article title (or the publication)
• News articles: search Tripod for the publication.
   
• If you're unsure, search for the publication, because this works for both journal and newspaper articles.
   
• Books and films: search Tripod for the title
• Book chapters:  usually, search for the book title

• Items not available in Tripod → use Borrow Beyond TriCo
  • You can request books through EZBorrow.
  • You can request articles, chapters, DVDs, and more through Interlibrary Loan.   (+ books not available in EZBorrow)

Research a Topic

Search Tripod

and/or

a subject database

How does this connect back to providing research support?

• Sometimes folks start with a concrete question (e.g. how to find something in Tripod) hoping to talk about something more open-ended  (e.g. what direction to take with their project)
   
• Librarians talk about the "reference interview" - it's important to ask good questions and practice active listening.
   
• Sometimes a quick question is just that! Notice if they're in a hurry, etc.