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Library Basics - SURI 2025

Welcome to Library Basics

Welcome to today's session about Library Basics in support of the Summer Undergraduate Research Institute!

Learning Outcomes: 

We will be able to identify what library services are available and how to access and utilize them.

We will show this by completing a gallery walk in our groups.

This is important because we will use library services to complete our research projects during the next 9 weeks in the Summer Undergraduate Research Institute.

Library Basics - SURI by UC Merced Library

Station 1: UC Library Search

Gallery Walk Questions & Hints:

  1. List 5 types of items that can be located using UC Library Search. 

  2. When using UC Library Search, what are 4 resource types that results can be narrowed down into?

Hint 1: Read more about UC Library Search.

Hint 2: Find out more about using UC Library Search below: 

How do I search for items I need for my research?

  1.  Navigate to the UC Merced Library home page.
  2.  Enter search terms, author names, book titles, article titles and more into the blue search box and hit "Enter."
  3. Make sure you are on the VPN and signed-in to UC Library Search to see the most accurate results. 

A. Boolean Operators

OR is mORe (joins similar terms)  e.g. cognitive OR brain (will get you more or broader results)

AND is less (joins dissimilar terms) e.g. memory AND music (will get you narrower results)

Sample Search Using both AND and OR

metabolites OR hydrocarbons

AND

environment

B. Quotation Marks

Use quotation marks to search for a phrase (will get you more targeted and likely, narrower results)

  • "heavy metal"
  • "water runoff"
  • "isochron dating"
Note: These search strategies function the same in most databases.

Troubleshooting Your Search

  1. No results?
    • Try refining your search terms by using different synonyms that are simpler or contain only 1 or 2 search terms
  2. Trouble in a database
    • Try searching in another database

Station 2: Ebooks & Interlibrary Loan

via GIPHY

Gallery Walk Questions & Hints: 

  1. Which filters should be used to find ebooks on UC Library Search?
  2. Where can materials be borrowed from using Interlibrary Loan?

Hint 3: Complete the following short tutorial to find out more about accessing ebooks: Accessing & Navigating Ebook Central

Hint 4: Visit the following page to learn more about ILL at UC Merced: Interlibrary Loan at UC Merced. 

Station 3: Database Searching

Gallery Walk Questions & Hints: 

  1. How do I find the A-Z databases listing?
  2. Go to the A-Z databases listing. Which databases are recommended as the "Best Bets" for Computer Science research?

Hint 5: Watch the short video embedded above with your group. 

Hint 6: See answer from question 5, or rewatch the video for guidance on how to find the A-Z databases listing. 

Station 4: Library Help & Services

Gallery Walk Questions & Hints: 

  1. Research can be hard- and you don't have to struggle with it alone. What are 5 ways that you can contact a librarian if you need help with your research?
  2. List two benefits of using a VPN according to the UC Merced Library. 

Hint 7: Visit the UC Merced Library website, then under the "About Us" drop down menu, go to "Ask a Librarian." 

Hint 8: Watch the short video embedded above with your group. 

Station 5: Goal 2

Gallery Walk Questions:

  1. Turn to someone in your group. Write down their name and one fun fact about them. 
  2. What are their research interests, and why did they decide to apply for SURI?

Feedback

Please submit your feedback through our SURI Library Survey. 

Thank you!