黑料社区

September 30, 2024 黑料社区

As a graduate student, you have a lot to learn. Scholarship and research aside, there are many facets of the graduate school experience that are important to your success but might not be obvious or easy to figure out. Between achieving a sense of well-being, attending to basic needs, maintaining relationships or caring for others, etc., there鈥檚 a lot to keep track of.

The 黑料社区 School is here to help. With the Grad Tips series, we鈥檒l be providing insight into different aspects of the graduate student experience, sharing tips and advice on how to get the most out of your time at Cornell. To vote on the next topic in the series, check for a poll in upcoming issues of the 黑料社区 School newsletter, News and Events.

This week鈥檚 topic: Library pointers

There鈥檚 no shortage of information and resources at Cornell, whether you鈥檙e completing research for your thesis or dissertation, teaching a class, or even tackling a side project. The Cornell University Library boasts containing millions of books and other materials, along with ways to access content even when away from Ithaca 鈥� whether you鈥檙e on the campus or studying . Cornell also employs a host of librarians eager to share their knowledge.

鈥淚t鈥檚 important that graduate students are aware of the amount of things that a librarian can do to support them over the course of their graduate student journey,鈥� said Hannah Toombs, engaged learning librarian and liaison to Latin American and Caribbean studies. 鈥淭ake the time to get familiar with Library services.鈥�

Are there special spaces or resources just for graduate students?

The tool offers students the ability to filter by location; whether or not a reservation is needed; sound level; what furniture, accessories, and technology the space contains; intended activity; and who is able to use the spaces. All Library spaces are available to students regardless of school or college.

The Library also offers a , containing links to information on finding help when you need it, tools for research and publishing, access to collections, teaching support, skills for graduate study and future work, and community and collaboration.

How can the Library support my research?

Librarians can connect you with resources you never knew existed at any phase of your research. Students beginning their programs may have questions about engaging with literature in specific subject areas or disciplines, learning how to use particular databases or indexes, or working with data. Students later in their programs might have questions about citation or data management, data curation or replication, or acquiring texts. If ever facing uncertainty, the best course of action is to speak with a librarian.

To make an appointment, visit the and request a meeting. Describing your research needs on the request form will enable a match with a librarian in your subject area.

鈥淲e get a variety of different questions because we help everyone,鈥� said Christina Sheley, interim associate university librarian for public services.

Librarians are familiar with many resources that students may not be aware of, including hundreds of subject- and discipline-specific databases Google Scholar can鈥檛 access.

鈥淕et to know your , because they are subject specialists that can always support students,鈥� she said.

And, if Cornell doesn鈥檛 have what a student needs in its sizeable collection, there are Library services that can facilitate external borrowing: allows students to borrow a book from other Ivy League institutions, and enables the borrowing of physical materials from other libraries and universities. If students are still unable to access a text integral to their research through these methods, they can use the feature, which proposes an item for the Library to add to its collection.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a lot of personalized research support to help graduate students make the most of their research and find the best sources,鈥� said Toombs.

How can the Library support my teaching?

can look different for each teaching assistant (TA). Librarians can help TAs prep their courses, put materials on reserve for their students to interact with, and locate their course readings. Subject librarians and liaisons can also work with TAs to diversify their syllabi, for example by providing access to content like digitizing a film for the purpose of the class.

Librarians can also collaborate with TAs on course instruction. TAs can invite librarians into their classes to provide students with an introduction to doing research at the Library or even teach their students zine making or podcasting.

What else can I access through the Library?

The Library loans out a range of tech devices, including laptops, audio recorders, camcorders, cameras and lenses, podcasting equipment, projectors, speakers, and tripods from , and laptops, cameras and attachments, microphones, and projectors. If you鈥檙e getting crafty, you can find sewing machines and button makers at .

But wait, says Toombs, there鈥檚 more:

鈥満诹仙缜� students should be aware that the Library also offers more fun resources, because that鈥檚 important to us as well: We have games, streaming services, and things that can help them decompress,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e have a wide range of resources available to support them.鈥�

What types of help exist for me to leverage?

Library focus on accessing its services, using an ORCID, citation management, and data management, among other topics, and an annual immersion program invites doctoral students in the humanities and social sciences looking to become more efficient scholars to learn about technologies, tools, and research skills in greater depth.

For constant, consistent access to information on , , , and more, a variety of are available on the Library website.

Students can set up with liaison librarians for assistance with subject- and discipline-specific research, but also other topics such as scholarly publishing, copyright advising, , and . Humanities and interpretive social sciences students can find additional support through the as well.

鈥淲e鈥檙e really interconnected with the entire university; we鈥檙e plugged into all of the colleges and schools,鈥� said Sheley. 鈥淚f we don鈥檛 know the answer, we typically know how to refer you out to somebody else within the campus community.鈥�

In sum: When in doubt? .