Hacking the Library

Tools, Tips, and Tricks to Find, Organize, and Keep Up to

Date on Current Research in Your Field

Janet FransenLibrarian for Computer Science & Engineering

fransen@umn.edu

Things you should know about

• Library Structure• Library Hacks• Specific types of resources• Consulting and Services

Library Structure

http://www.oir.umn.edu/student/enrollment/term/1113/current/12204

14 Library Locations

• Walter: CS print books and journals• Others: Cross-disciplinary work• Use Get It to have print materials

sent to your favorite library

Outside the U of M

• Worldcat– International consortium catalog– Go there to find out what libraries have

a book

Outside the U of M

• Interlibrary Loan– Separate login– Print delivered to library of your choice– Electronic delivered online to your

account

Liaisons

• Aligned with colleges/departments• Me: CS, ECE, AEM, HST

– BS in AEM– 20 years as a desktop app

developer/trainer/writer– MLIS in 2006– Keenly interested in all my subject

areas, but expert in none of them

Library Hacks

Managing Citations

http://www.lib.umn.edu/capim/citation/compare

Specific Types of Resources

Electrical & Computer Engineering Department

Expected completion for analysis of Computer Science & Engineering Department: 10/15/11

3 Masters theses, 43 PhD Dissertations

Sources Cited (ECE)

Other Sources (ECE)

What’s in the databases you’re searching?

• IEEE Xplore– Mostly IEEE-published articles/papers– Recent IET journals (2007-present)– IBM Journal of Research & Development– AIP (Applied Physics Letters, Journal of

Applied Physics, and others)

What’s in the databases you’re searching?

• ACM– Full text: ACM publications– Citations: “Major publishers in

computing”– Load through the proxy and you’ll see

the Find It button on citations

What’s in the databases you’re searching?

• Google Scholar– We don’t know, but a lot– Many publishers’ databases (Elsevier,

IEEE, etc.)– Institutional Repositories (University

Digital Conservancy)– Upside is breadth, downside is precision

What’s in the databases you’re searching?

• Engineering Village (Compendex/Inspec)– General engineering, computer science,

and physics– Articles and conference papers, less

gray literature than Google Scholar– Allows for more precise search

What’s in the databases you’re searching?

• Web of Science– Wide range of science disciplines– Mostly published articles, not technical

reports or conference papers– Precise search, plus who’s-citing-whom

analysis tools

Engineering Village

Web of Science

Finding Standards

• Standards librarian: Jon Jeffryes

Standards

Standards

• Some cataloged, most not• Check Jon’s page first, shelves at

Walter second– Call the reference desk and we’ll look for

you

• If we don’t have it, ask Jon if he will order it for you

ISO Standards

• Database maintained by SciEng staff (http://www.lib.umn.edu/walter/iso/search)

Consulting and Services

Consulting Services

Online Instruction

http://z.umn.edu/englit

Contact me at:

Jan Fransen

Fransen@umn.edu

612-624-7446

Website: z.umn.edu/umjanlibOffice hours: Thursdays 3:00-4:00 in the ECE Student Center