Interested in how the United States’ government works? Unsure what is available to you for free? A great resource at the UAA/APU Consortium Library is the Government information LibGuide available through the library website found here: https://libguides.consortiumlibrary.org/government_inform 

The LibGuide offers great resources to get started exploring government information, two examples of such resources are: GovInfo.gov and USA.gov.

What is GovInfo.gov? 

GovInfo is a service that is provided by the Government Publishing Office (GPO) that allows for free public access to official government publications from all three branches of the Federal Government. 

GovInfo gives you options to browse alphabetically, by specific collections, within a specific timeframe, by issuing committee or by a specific government author. Basic Keyword searching is also available, as well as Advanced Search and Citation Search. 

The GPO prides itself on providing authentic documents to ensure their integrity and digitally preserves their content for future generations.

For tutorials on how to search GovInfo, check out the following links to explore the variety of videos offered:

• FDLP Tutorials
• GovInfo Tutorials

What is USA.gov?

USA.gov’s mission is to “make it easier for people to find and understand the government services and information they need-anytime, anywhere, any way they want” (USAGov, 2026, USAGov’s mission section).

They also have  a Spanish language counterpart at https://www.usa.gov/es/.

Services range from finding resources on voting/elections, government benefits, disability services, housing help and identifying scams. For a complete list of topics and services that USA.gov provides visit: https://www.usa.gov/#all-topics-header.

USA.gov also provides live agents if you would like to call or chat with one to answer your questions at  https://www.usa.gov/contact-us.

Don’t let the idea of government documents intimidate you, take advantage of free resources available to you and if you have business research inquiries, reach out to UAA/APU’s Business Librarian to set up an appointment. 

References 

GovInfo. (n.d). Discover U.S. Government Information. GovInfo. https://www.govinfo.gov/

USAGov. (n.d). Making government documents easier to find. USAGov. https://www.usa.gov/

USAGov. (2026, July 2). USAGov’s mission and history. USAGov. https://www.usa.gov/mission-history

Summer is approaching and maybe you are asking yourself, what should I read for fun? If you are interested in French female authors from the 20th century, the APU/UAA Consortium library has you covered. Below are 3 prominent French Authors whose work can be found amongst our shelves. Summer is a great opportunity to discover their lives and work.


Simone de Beauvoir

If you are interested in philosophy and feminism, Simone de Beauvoir checks both boxes. Born January 9th, 1908, de Beauvoir is most known for her 2 volume masterpiece, The Second Sex (Britannica, Simone de Beauvoir, 2026), which is available to borrow from the UAA Consortium Library. Her work ranges from autobiographical, philosophical and fiction. The UAA Consortium Library has copies of her work in both English and French.

Colette

If you are interested in scandal and love, these are topics Colette is famous for. Collette, born Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette January 28, 1873, began her writing career writing about a fictitious school girl named Claudine. Colette’s first husband claimed credit for her work publishing her work under his name. Once they separated she started to claim ownership of her work and has since been known and remembered by the monotone Colette (Self, 2023).

Marguerite Duras

Marguerite Duras was born in Vietnam and moved to study at the Sorbonne in Paris when she was 17. Novelist, screenwriter, playwright and even a film director Duras has many accomplishments associated with her name. Her semi-autobiographical novel The Lover won the prestigious Prix Goncourt, a French literary award (Britannica, Marguerite Duras, 2026).

To find work written by these trailblazing 20th Century female French authors, visit our Catalog.

References

Britannica. (2026, February 18). Simone de Beauvoir. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Simone-de-Beauvoir
Britannica. (2026, March 31). Marguerite Duras. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Marguerite-Duras
Self, J. (2023, January 25). Colette: The most beloved French writer of all time. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20230125-colette-the-most-beloved-french-writer-of-all-time

Academic Video Online, AVON for short is a video subscription database that students and faculty have access to through the UAA Consortium Library’s Database webpage: 

Within AVON you can browse preselected channels or search using keywords by clicking on the magnifying glass icon found on the top of both the Homepage and the Channels page.

If you are familiar with Boolean Operators, you should review AVON’s General Platform Help page for Search Tips, because AVON does not follow typical Boolean Logic. 

If you would like to create personal playlists and clips, you must create a personal user account, click on the red account button located on the top right hand side of each AVON page. 

AVON is a great place to search for curated academic audiovisual content. While you are a student take advantage of this valuable and interesting resource. 

Google Scholar is one of APU/UAA Consortium Library’s “Featured” databases. Access to it can be found on our A-Z Databases page. Accessing Google Scholar this way allows for the results of your query to showcase what we as an institution have access to versus directing you to paywalls that are not part of the library’s collection.

If you are familiar with our QuickSearch option to research, and have experience using Boolean Operators to search, it is important to note that Google Scholar does not use all the Boolean operators the same as other databases would. Below is a chart that shows some of the differences and similarities.

As the Spring Semester is in full swing, you might be starting to research topics for upcoming assignments and papers. One of the first steps in the research process is choosing a topic, identifying keywords, and beginning to search for resources.

If you are having trouble choosing keywords, you can find useful Self-Guided Help Tutorials under the Research Help Tab on the Library website.

The following tutorials/LibGuides are a great starting point if you are new to research and the library:

• What to Put in a Search Box
• Using QuickSearch
• Internet Searching
• Using the Library Catalog

Navigating different information retrieval systems can be different. The tutorials above will guide you on how to search effectively, regardless of whether you are using our library website and catalog or an internet search engine.

If you are still having trouble after reviewing the above tutorials and need more help brainstorming topics and /or keywords, do not hesitate to reach out to a librarian; you can always Ask Us! or Schedule a one-on-one meeting with a Subject Librarian.

Be aware that if you need help editing your writing, the UAA Learning Commons, which is located on the first floor of the APU/UAA Consortium Library, is home to the Writing Center. There, you can connect with a tutor either in-person or online by appointment.

Good luck with all your research endeavors!