Central Library resources can be incorporated into courses on OAK or individual course web pages in several different ways.

Faculty can:

• Link full-text articles directly to their syllabus or reading list
• Direct students to databases and e-journals they can use for specific assignments
• Link to Web pages created by librarians specifically for their course or assignment
• Link to general Subject Guides or the Vanderbilt libraries home page
• Link to Getting Started With Your Research, a self-help guide for students
• Provide students with a direct link to librarian assistance provided through the Ask Us! service

Additionally, faculty may wish to place items on Electronic Reserves.

If you need any assistance creating links to library resources, contact:

Melinda Brown, melinda.brown@vanderbilt.edu

How do I find out about any new library resources that might be useful for my class?

Contact the subject librarian for your department, who will be able to suggest resources appropriate to the subject of your course and the research needs of your students.

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Linking to Full-Text Articles

It is often possible to link directly to a full-text article in one of the library's online journal and article collections directly from your course readings in OAK or your course web-page. Methods for creating these links will vary:

• Sometimes you can use the URL (web site address) displayed in the address bar at the top of your web browser's window.
• Sometimes you will have to build a link based on information that an online journal or article collection provides.
  

It is important to create direct and stable article links:

Direct: The link leads immediately to the article, with no need to search or navigate.

Stable: The link works every time you click on it. (NOTE: If you simply copy a link from the address bar, it may stop working after you've closed the broswer and will never work for other people).

To Get Started:

Choose the database where you found the article from the following list and follow the instructions (NOTE: This list is under development):

1. ACM Digital Library (Association for Computing Machinery)
2. African-American Poetry (LION)
3. American Chemical Society journals
4. American Periodicals Series Online 1740-1900 (ProQuest)
5. American Poetry (1600-1900) (LION)
6. A.T.L.A. Religion Database (EBSCOHost)
7. Business Source Premier (EBSCOHost)
8. Chicago Tribune, 1890-1985 (ProQuest)
9. Computer Database
10. Contemporary Literary Criticism Select
11. Declassified Documents Reference System - United States
12. Dissertation Abstracts/Digital Dissertations/ProQuest Dissertations and Theses
13. Early American Fiction
14. Early English Books Online (EEBO)
15. Early English Prose Fiction (1500-1700) (LION)
16. Eighteenth-Century Fiction (LION)
17. Emerald (MCB University Press journals)
18. English Drama (1250-1900) (LION)
19. English Poetry (600 - 1900) (LION)
20. Ethnic Newswatch (ProQuest)
21. Faber Poetry Library
22. General BusinessFile ASAP
23. General BusinessFile International
24. General Reference Center Gold
25. Health and Wellness Resource Center
26. Health Reference Center-Academic
27. HeinOnline
28. History E-Book Project
29. Informe
30. Infotrac Onefile
31. International Encyclopedia of the Social and Behavioral Sciences (ScienceDirect)
32. JSTOR
33. Kluwer Journals
34. Literature Online (LION)
35. Literature Resource Center
36. Modern Poetry (LION)
37. New York Times, 1851-2001 (ProQuest)
38. Niles' Register, 1814-1849 (ProQuest)
39. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center
40. Oxford Reference Online Premium
41. Pollard and Redgrave (EEBO)
42. Project Euclid
43. Project MUSE
44. ProQuest
45. ProQuest Newspapers (ProQuest)
46. Religion & Philosophy Database
47. ScienceDirect
48. Short Title Catalog (EEBO)
49. SpringerLink
50. Thomason Tracts (EEBO)
51. Times Digital Archive (London Times)
52. Twentieth Century African-American Poetry (LION)
53. Twentieth Century American Poetry (LION)
54. Washington Post (1877-1988) (ProQuest)

 

What if the Database Where I Found My Article Isn't On this List?
If the database where you found your article doesn't have direct links to articles, consider this alternative. Give your students the article citation, provide a link to the database where the article can be found, and have them search the database on their own. This takes time, and often the article is not found if the person made a mistake typing or searched improperly. However, since not all full-text databases provide the ability to do article level linking, this might be your best option.

Linking to Databases and E-journals

There are times when you may wish to have students use a particular database and/or e-journal to complete specific assignments. Consider linking directly to these resources.

To do this, start by going to the Library's research database or e-journal page. Find the database or e-journal you want to link to, and place your cursor over the link.

Right click on the link, and select "Copy shortcut" or "Copy Link Location" (depending upon your browser, this message might be slightly different). This will allow you to paste the correct URL with proxy information (the code that allows for off-campus access) into OAK or your course web-page.

Linking to Course-related Web Pages Created by Librarians

If you bring your class to the library for an instruction session, a librarian will often create a handout for your class that could be posted to OAK or your course web-page.

Librarians are happy to consult with you to create customized materials to assist your students with their research (Examples). You can either link to these materials, or if it is a Word document, ask for a copy to incorporate into your course page.

Subject Guides

You may wish to link to one of our subject based research guides. These guides are open to the public. Choose the guide you wish to link to and simply cut and paste the link from the top of the web page for your link.

Library Homepage

Consider linking to the Heard Library system homepage. This page gives students direct access to many library resources and services. All the links from this page include proxy server information that will allow students to access the materials whereever they are.

The URL to use: http://www.library.vanderbilt.edu/

Getting Started With Your Research Self-Help Guide for Students

Getting Started With Your Research is a guide for students who are unclear about the steps to take for a research project. It provides basic information about the research process, when to use library resources in the process, and how to get in touch with a librarian for further help.

The URL to use: http://www.library.vanderbilt.edu/research/

Ask Us!

Did you know that students can get online help from a librarian? The Ask Us! e-mail services is an online alternative for students who need research assistance.

The URL to use: http://www.library.vanderbilt.edu/askus/