College life can be far from easy. Making new friends, time management, and even just getting used to a new environment, can be difficult. Finally, on top of everything else, you must find a way to be successful academically while you are here. We, at the library, do not want you to be stressed out when it comes to your education. The resources that follow are meant to support you and your academic growth while you are here at HPU.
1. Librarians
HPU Libraries has 16 librarians that are here and ready to answer your questions regarding how to find content, how to determine if content is good for use in a research paper, how to cite the information you are using in your paper, and much more! There are many ways for you to ask a librarian for help. You can call us, email us, make an appointment with us for individual assistance, or you can even text us! We even have an online chat that you can use if you cannot make it to the library!
(HPU Libraries, 2023b)
Click here to learn about the many ways that librarians can support your academic growth while you are here.
2. Library Workshops
Each semester, HPU Libraries offers a series of academic workshops on subjects that may be of great interest to college students. Subjects that our workshops cover include how to cite research properly, how to get started with your research, how to use social media to perform effective research, and more. We also offer workshops that stimulate interests in content creation, such as zine making and cell phone filmmaking. Finally, we will often offer workshops on special topics, such as the history of the book. These workshops are open to all HPU students free of charge, and you can click here to see what kinds of workshops we are offering each semester and RSVP to attend them.
3. Interlibrary Loan
Is there a book or journal article that you need that HPU Libraries does not have access to? Not to worry! We can request most library materials you may need through our Interlibrary Loan (ILL) service! Using the ILL service, you have access to any book or academic journal article in the United States. When you find a book that you need to request access to, simply click on the blue button labeled “Interlibrary Loan” and fill out a simple online form. It really is THAT easy!
(HPU Libraries, 2023c)
It is important to remember that this service takes time. If you want to request a digital resource, such as an academic journal article, this is done electronically and will be emailed to you 1-3 days after you complete the ILL online form. Physical materials, such as books or movies, take more time, usually 1-3 weeks. When planning your research, please allow yourself this time if you know you will need to use the ILL service. For more information on interlibrary loan, click here.
4. Research Guides
As a student here at HPU, you have access to an astounding number of materials; this includes over 250,000 print items, 12,000 films, and over one million pieces of electronic content. While it feels encouraging to know that you have access to that much content, it can also be intimidating to think about searching through that much content to find materials you need for a paper. You are in luck. HPU librarians are aware of this and have worked hard to create research guides, sometimes referred to as “libguides” to help save you time and stress when performing research. Research guides are subject-specific guides that collect all the best sources of information for research in a specific subject and put them all together in a compact, easy-to-navigate guide. With these guides you will be able to find the best books, databases, media content, online content and more to complete your research. You can also find guidance on how to cite your research in the citation style that is specific to your field of study. HPU libraries offers research guides in almost every major, as well as research guides for library-specific subjects, such as copyright, 3D printing, database searching tutorials, and more!
(HPU Libraries, 2023a)
To navigate these guides, simply click on the tabs at the top of the screen to find desired materials. Most research guides also contain our online chat box so, if you need some assistance, we are always one click away. Click here for a full list of research guides offered by HPU Libraries.
The resources described above are just some of the best library resources you have at your disposal. We hope that you will use these resources while you are here to reduce time and energy spent performing your research. If you ever have any questions about these and other library resources, just ask a librarian!
References:
HPU Libraries. (2023a). Database search strategies module: Databases 101 Research Guide [Image].
High Point University. https://guides.highpoint.edu/database_module
HPU Libraries. (2023b). Library homepage [Image]. High Point University.
https://www.highpoint.edu/library
HPU Libraries. (2023c). Library catalog entry for “The inventory of King Henry VIII vol II, textiles and
dress” [Image]. High Point University. https://hpulibraries.on.worldcat.org/oclc/795859083