5. From the Library’s website, under the “Research” tab, you will now have access to a number of different databases and search engines (indicated by a blue arrow).

     

6. You will have the option to "Find Databases by Subject" or "Browse Databases by Title." Go to "Browse Databases by Title." 

7. Click on the letter G, then click on Gale eBooks. If you are already logged in for off-campus access, you will be taken straight into the database. If you are not yet logged in, you will be prompted to do so. (See the "Logging In Remotely" tab of this guide for instructions.)

Try this database when you’re just getting started doing research on a topic, and are looking for background information or an overview. It searches across hundreds of online AUTHORITATIVE encyclopedias and the entries are written by scholars. It is a highly recommended alternative to Wikipedia. At the end of most articles, you will also see a bibliography or further reading list, which is a great way to start compiling a list of potential sources for your paper.

Sample searches: 

     "sonny's blues"

     james baldwin

     where are you going where have you been

     joyce carol oates

     jazz music

     blues music

     bebop music

     music AND "african americans"

     bartleby the scrivener

     herman melville

Sample search results from Gale eBooks:   

 

Sample paragraphs (from two different sample articles) in Gale eBooks:

Sample bibliography (found at the end of the articles in Gale Ebooks):

 

Even though the entries in Gale eBooks are encyclopedia articles, you might be led to scholarly books and peer reviewed articles through the bibliographies. To find out which of these titles the Library owns, you want to use oneSEARCH, which is the next stop on our list of databases.