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Brimson Grow Library FAQs -- Tips on Using the Library Databases
> Which databases will allow me to place an online request for a book?
When you are looking at the full record for a book (rather than a list of titles), you can place an online book request from three different databases:
- Clicking on the "Request" button in the
library's online catalog will notify the library staff to place one of our books on the hold shelf for you at the front desk:
- Clicking on the "Request" button in I-Share
will request a book from one of the 64 other CARLI libraries in the state of Illinois.
The other CARLI library will send the
book here via the state courier system, and you will be notified when the book is available for you to pick up
from the hold shelf at the front desk. This is usually the quickest way to request a book from another library.
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Clicking on the "ILL" button in WorldCat
opens an online interlibrary loan form that lets you request a book from another library where it is available:
The book will be mailed here, and you will be notified when it is available for you to pick up from the hold
shelf at the front desk.
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> Which databases will allow me to place an online request for a journal article?
You can place an online request for a journal article from any of the
FirstSearch databases that indexes journal articles including:
- the ATLA Religion Database,
- Electronic Collections Online (ECO),
- ArticleFirst,
- ERIC,
- and WilsonSelectPlus.
Note that many of these databases also include full text articles that
can be read directly online.
Click here
for a complete list of all the FirstSearch databases.
Many articles are also available from the EBSCOHost databases including many full text online articles. If you want to request an article from EBSCOHost that
is not available in full text, you will need to bring a printout of the citation to the library, or email the
citation along with your name and contact information to library@seminary.edu.
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> Why can't I find the link to an online request form?
Whether you are searching in the library's online catalog,
I-Share, or one of the FirstSearch databases, you can only place an online request when you
are viewing a full record.
If you are viewing a list of titles, you must select a single title by
clicking on it in order to bring up the full record display.
Once you are looking at the full record, either
the "Request" button (online catalog, I-Share) or the "ILL" button (FirstSearch) will display
on the top menu bar.
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> Why should I never place an online request for an essay from ATLA?
Placing an online equest for an essay from the ATLA Religion Database will
always result in an invalid interlibrary loan request:
The document type "Essay" found in the ATLA Religion Database
is assigned to individual chapters from multi-author works. In other words, if someone edits a book where
each chapter is written by a different author, those individual chapters are indexed in ATLA as essays:
Other libraries will not photocopy a chapter from a book and send the photocopy via interlibrary
loan. Instead, you must identify the book that is the source for the essay and then search for
that book to verify whether or not it is in Northern's library. If the book is not available
in our library, then you may place a request for the book using either I-Share or WorldCat.
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> How can I find detailed information about the available FirstSearch databases?
Click here
for a complete list of all the FirstSearch databases. Clicking on the blue "info" icon to the right of each
database description will bring up a full page of detailed information for each FirstSearch database.
You can also access this information while using any FirstSearch database by clicking on the "Databases" tab in the
top part of the FirstSearch screen:
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> How can I find detailed information about the available EBSCOHost databases?
Clicking on a link to
the EBSCOHost databases
takes you to a "Choose Database" screen that gives a brief description of each database. Beside each brief description is a "More Information"
link which will take you to a detailed description of the database and its contents.
You can also access this information while using any EBSCOHost database by clicking on the "Choose Databases" tab in
the top part of the EBSCOHost screen.
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> How can I find more full text articles in Academic Search Premier?
The default search screen in Academic Search Premier provides multiple search fields
that are set to search the "Default Fields". Instead of searching just the default
fields, click on the drop-down area to the right of "Default Fields":
Change "default fields" to "TX All Text" in order to bring back more results:
Compare a search for "synoptic gospels" in the Default Fields
to a search for "synoptic gospels" in "TX All Text". Note
that you can also select options like "AU Author" or "SU Subject Terms" to
narrow your search to just author or subject keywords.
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