Transcript: Alyssa
Chapter 5: Alyssa talks about the benefits of academic libraries' search capabilities
When I first started using OSU’s Library Search, I didn’t realize how useful it would be for organizing my research. The catalog lets me easily search through everything OSU Libraries owns or has access to, such as books, journals, and even maps or recordings.
What I found especially helpful was how quickly I could filter my searches with OSU’s Library Search. For example, I could narrow things down by primary versus secondary sources, or choose only peer-reviewed materials, which saved me a lot of time when working on research papers. I would do so by using different filters under Refine Your Results on the left-hand side of my search. Sometimes I’d find an article on Google that I wanted to use, but it was behind a paywall. When that happened, I’d simply search the title in the library catalog, and if Ohio State had access, it would give me direct links to the full text.
Plus, it provided tools like citation styles, permalinks, and DOIs right on the website, which made it super easy to include in my references without spending extra time formatting citations.
Overall, the library catalog has made doing research way more efficient and reliable. It’s definitely one of the best tools for finding trustworthy, accessible resources for my assignments.
