Familiarizing Yourself with the Library (Or There Is More to Researching Than Sitting

A Library Scavenger Hunt (Adapted from: www.accd.edu/sac/english/lirvin/1301/scavenger.htm)

Familiarizing yourself with the Library (or there is more to researching than sitting at a computer)

For this assignment, you will be given an "-ism" below and will follow the directions below to gather sources related to the topic. You are after an understanding of "What is this -ism?" Consider this to be like a scavenger hunt; you will go through the library and find different books and copy pages out of them. To do the hunt, you will need some money to make copies.

Along the way, as you gather copies of pages from various sources, be sure to write or copy ALL bibliographic information about the source (i.e. title, author, date published, publisher, page number of page copied).

-isms Classicism Romanticism Dualism Victorianism

Cubism Modernism Capitalism Post-Modernism

Rationalism Realism Historicism Impressionism

Post-Impressionism Mannerism Liberalism Existentialism

Dadaism Futurism Naturalism Symbolism

Minimalism Transcendentalism Zootheism Humanism

Abstract-Impressionism Socialism Republicanism Nomism

FOLLOW THESE DIRECTIONS EXACTLY

FIND #1--A Reference Definition A) Go to the Reference section of the library. Look in one of these books to find a general definition of your topic (DO NOT USE A GENERAL ENCYCLOPEDIA!). Make a Xerox copy of that definition (up to two pages of it).

Look in any of these (or in books around them) A Handbook to Literature Encyclopedia of World Art Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy

FIND #2--TWO BOOKS on the General "-ism" A) Go to the library catalogue (on the computers) and do a SUBJECT search on your "-ism." For example: for Existentialism Subject Search Terms: Existentialism Existential* (using truncation) Note: some of your topics could also go by -ist as in Existentialist

B) Write down the title and call numbers for 2-4 books that pertain to your topic.

C) Go to the area and pull the books related to your topic. You might see some others right around the location of the ones you have the call number for. Look through these books and find a page that seems to have some definition of your "-ism" and make a Xerox copy of it (remember to get all the bibliographic information on that source). Make this copy for each book--two pages copied from two different books.

Find #3--ONE BOOK on a PERSON associated with this "-ism" A) Go back to the library catalogue computers and do a SUBJECT search again on an individual who is associated with your "-ism."

For example, for Cubism you might do a Subject search on Pablo Picasso

B) Find this book in the stacks, and find a page in the book that describes how this individual represents the general characteristics and definition of this "-ism." It should be found early in the book's introduction or preface. Make a copy of this page or two from the book.

FIND #4--JOURNALS related to your "-ism"

A) Go to the computer area around the Reference Desk and access the Kresge Library Homepage where you can see the tab “Find Articles.” Click on the link “Databases by subject”. Click on a relevant subject for you word – select a database.

B) Do a general search for your "-ism" (if this doesn't hit, try some other term that fits your "-ism"

C) Find a PERIODICAL related to your "-ism" that is held here in Kresge. Write down its title.

D) Make a copy of the article. (Be sure to get all the bibliographic information for this source too).

When you are done you should have FOUR items:

1. 1 copy of a page or pages from a General Reference Source with a definition of your "-ism"

2. 1 copy of a page from two different books that generally pertain to your "-ism"

3. 1 copy of a page from a book about an individual associated with your "-ism"

4. 1 copy of the article from a periodical journal related to your "-ism"

YOU MUST ALSO HAVE ALL BIBLIOGRAPHIC INFORMATION ON EACH SOURCE.