Your class requires a $100 textbook. You go to the library to see if they have a copy but you learn that the Library does not purchase textbooks due to the frequent changes in editions.

What should you do? Luckily, we have some options for you:

1) Check with the circulation desk to see if the book was put on reserve for your class. Make sure you give the people at the desk the course name and/or instructor last name. Or you can check yourself by going to the Library Catalog and looking for the course by instructor name, course ID or title.

2) Rent a textbook through the UAA Campus Bookstore or purchase a used copy.

3) Try one of the websites listed in our Textbook guide to rent, download, purchase, or try an open textbook.

Search terms can make or break your research. Thinking differently about the terms you are using to search on a topic can sometimes create different search results. Pulling out main idea words from your topic and identifying synonyms can open up a world of relevant sources on your topic. To learn more about how to think differently about the search terms you are using watch this quick tutorial on Main Idea Words.

Need to take a 1 credit course? Want to learn how to select and ethically use library resources to succeed in research? Take LS 101 online to become an expert researcher.

Writing a paper and need to cite your sources using a specific citation style?  Try accessing Purdue University’s Online Writing Lab.    The OWL at Purdue provides style guides for MLA, APA and Chicago citation styles.

Want a place to store all of your sources and help create your reference list? RefWorks is a citation management software that is free for any UAA or APU student to use. Researchers can seamlessly export citations from most databases and create folders to store them in.

CQ Researcher allows you access to in-depth, unbiased reports on current issues in the news.  These reports not only include pro and con viewpoints on a topic but also provide relevant statistics.  Read the most recent report on Government Spending and see what CQ Researcher is all about: http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/document.php?id=cqresrre2013071200