Whether in-person or on-line, the library is worth the trip!

He is wise who knows the sources of knowledge -- where it is written and where it is to be found. - A.A. Hodge

Many of the wise ones are hard at work in the basement of the Parks building. If you haven't been to the basement yet, it's worth the trip!

The wise ones, more commonly known as librarians, help students and faculty effectively learn how to use the resources on Internet and in the library for research. Locating credible resources can be time-consuming and frustrating. The librarians know how to guide you to useful, scholarly, academic resources on the Internet and in the library. This is just one of the many services they provide.

The "Ask a Librarian" option on the library homepage is especially helpful because you can e-mail a question directly to the reference desk. Ask anything from how to write a bibliography to where to find statistics on the nursing shortage in the United States. You can even ask directions on how to cook a turkey in the microwave. They would tell you not too, even if you got it to fit, because it's not safe.

With a simple question, expect to get an answer in about an hour. If the question is more complex, the librarian may need more time or more information from you, in which case they will contact you. If you need an answer fast, just give them a call at 425.388.9354, but be sure and check the library homepage for their hours because they change depending on the college schedule.

The greatest use of the library is in our databases, said librarian David Rash. The college pays thousands of dollars to have access to them. These databases are not available for free on the Internet, but are available to students and faculty on and off campus with their ID number.

CQ Researcher is one of the many databases where you can do research on current issues. For example, you could look up resources on the controversy surrounding immigration in America. To access CQ, look for databases listed by title on the homepage. Search by topic and it will give you an overview of the issue, current articles, background, pros and cons argued by credible sources, maps and graphs and the list goes on. If you are doing research, this is a valuable place to start.

One of the most widely used databases is called OCLC or WorldCat. This makes the content of 69,000 libraries in 112 countries available, and is known as "the window to the world's libraries," which describes it very well, said Christine Nelson, who is one of the five faculty librarians at EvCC.

If the library doesn't have a copy of the book, magazine or newspaper you want, you can find it with WorldCat. Once located, you just fill out the inter-library loan form on-line and the library will borrow it for you, or in the case of magazine or newspaper articles, they will order copies. A book can take up to 10 days, but getting copies of magazines and newspapers will be much faster.

If you have the time to read a book and just can't make it to the library, check out Ebooks. The first time you log-in when you are off campus, you will need to create a free account which will take a couple of minutes, but it will give you access to the full text of thousands of books online.

See the images and information located on this page for more of the libraries resources and how to find them. Then, take the time to visit the library in-person. It will make your time at EvCC even more rewarding, and it truly is worth the trip!

This is a list of some resources available in the library.

The library is wireless.

It has group study rooms that can be reserved in advance.

18 wireless notebooks are available to loan, which are linked to printers. These are for use only inside the library.

Computer work stations, many located in a room dedicated for quiet study.

Free Prints- up to 30 black and white copies per day

DVD's, CD's and talking books available to check-out, or use in the library.

Make internet searches more efficient by adding just a few words:

Go to Google, click on more at the top of the screen, and choose scholar; now when you search it will only give you scholarly resources.

When you are doing a Google search, in the box type Title: then your topic followed by Site: gov or edu or org. An example would be Title: foreclosure site: gov the results will be sites that are considered more credible. Careful with the spacing on this one, if you don't put the spaces in properly, the results won't be what you are looking for.

Go to Google, click on more, and choose even more; this will give you a great list of different ways to search.

One little known fact is that EvCC students can borrow library books from any other community college library in the state, all you need is your student ID.