Research Tips & Tricks

Visit the Research Tips & Tricks page to explore a five step path to finding, evaluating and citing the information you use to complete your papers and projects. Visit each research step sequentially or select the step that best addresses what you may wish to know or to review about that particular process. Content within the steps is often supplemented by a short video clip.

A link to the Research Tips & Tricks page can be found from the UW-Madison Libraries home page in the lower right Help & Guidance box.

Banned Books Week (Sept 27-Oct 4)

Celebrate your freedom to read during Banned Books Week 2008. Some of the most profound and inspiring works of literature have faced challenges to their access from groups or individuals who have felt threatened by their content. How many have you read? Check out this list of the 100 Most-Banned or Challenged Books from 2000-2007 produced by the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom. I will admit that I have read many banned books in my day. (When I was growing up my mother would seek them out for her children to read and discuss!)

Of related interest, do save the date to see Judy Blume speak during the Wisconsin Book Festival! She is scheduled to speak Wednesday, October 15 at the Memorial Union Theater (7:30-9:00 PM). Tickets will be required for this event. Free tickets to the lecture can be picked up from the Wisconsin Union Theater box office. (Limit: two tickets per person).

Geek.Kon (September 27-28)

Get your geek on this weekend with Geek.Kon 2008!


The conference will include gaming events, screenings of anime and sci-fi films, music, costuming, vendors and panel discussions.

Special guests include Matt Sloan and Aaron Yonda (of Chad Vader fame), David Salo (linguist, Lord of the Rings’ Elvish), and Sarah Monette (novelist, sci-fi/fantasy/horror).

While pre-registration has closed, you are still welcome to attend this free conference event.

When: September 27-28
Saturday 8:00 AM - 11:00 PM
Sunday 8:00 AM - 3:30 PM

Where: Humanities Building, UW-Madison Campus (455 North Park Street)

And, of related interest...did you know that the Open Book Cafe at College Library has games, graphic novels, sci-fi/fantasy novels and DVDs that you can borrow?! Check out its collection!

Fresh Market Dining

As we approach October, I am reminded how much my grandfather loved the month, a month he simply called “golden” not only for its fall foliage but for its abundant squash—acorn, butternut, pumpkin—you name it, we harvested it. While some of you may not be as inclined to stock on the squash bounty as I am, there are plenty of other great food buys at area farmers’ markets. (In fact, the Dane County Farmers’ Market will continue on the Capitol Square until November 8).

In order to inspire your market forage, I have selected a few titles from Steenbock’s cookbook collection for your consideration (do consult with librarians for availability of these titles and for any assistance locating related items):

Author: Allen, Terese
Title: Fresh market Wisconsin: recipes, resources, and stories celebrating Wisconsin farm markets and roadside stands
Publisher: Amherst, WI : Amherst Press, c1993.
Description: 176 p. : ill.; 26 cm.
Location: Steenbock Stacks -1st Floor
Call Number: TX714 A453 1993

Title: From asparagus to zucchini: a guide to cooking with farm-fresh seasonal produce / Madison Area Community Supported Agriculture Coalition.
Publisher: Madison, Wis. : Jones Books, c2004.
Description: viii, 228 p. : ill. ; 28 cm.
Location: Steenbock Stacks -1st Floor
Call Number: TX801 F76 2004

Author: Madison, Deborah
Title: Local flavors: cooking and eating from America's farmers' markets
Publisher: New York : Broadway Books, c2002.
Description: xxiii, 408 p. : col. ill. ; 26 cm.
Location: Steenbock Stacks -1st Floor
Call Number: TX715 M1157 2002

Author: Schultz, Judy
Title: From the garden: great vegetable cooking from market to table
Publisher: Red Deer, Alta. : Red Deer College Press, 1993.
Description: 226 p. : col. ill. ; 21 cm.
Location: Steenbock Stacks -1st Floor
Call Number: TX801 S38 1993

Need Definition?

If the Google strategy define:term search (e.g. define: protein kinase) doesn't do it for you, try one of our campus libraries’ online reference databases--Oxford Reference Online or Credo Reference (formerly, xreferplus). Go to the campus libraries home page and select the E-Resource Gateway. You can get to these reference databases by searching for the database product by name or by browsing by subject (Subject/category, Reference/subcategory, Introductory Resources).

Oxford Reference Online combines scholarly resources with authoritative, quick-reference coverage of the full subject spectrum. Besides bilingual Spanish, German and French dictionaries and English language dictionaries and thesauri, it includes the following titles:

A Dictionary of Animal Behaviour
A Dictionary of Biology
The New Encyclopedia of Birds
The Oxford Companion to the Body
Dictionary of Chemistry
A Dictionary of Earth Sciences
A Dictionary of Ecology
Dictionary of Economics
A Dictionary of Environment and Conservation
Encyclopedia of Evolution
The Oxford Companion to the Garden
A Dictionary of Genetics
A Dictionary of Geography
Encyclopedia of Global Change
Dictionary of Physics
A Dictionary of Plant Sciences
A Dictionary of Scientists
Dictionary of Social Sciences
Dictionary of Sociology
Dictionary of Statistics
The Encyclopedia of Underwater Life
Dictionary of Weather
Dictionary of Weights, Measures and Units
A Dictionary of Zoology

Credo Reference (xreferplus) is particularly strong in medical dictionaries as well as French, German and Spanish bilingual and other specialty dictionaries.
It includes the following titles:

Dictionary of Astronomy, Peter Collin Publishing
Collins Dictionary of Biology
Dorland's Illustrated Medical Dictionary
Collins Dictionary of Economics
Encyclopedia of Ecology & Environmental Management
Thames & Hudson Dictionary of Fashion and Fashion Designers
International Dictionary of Food and Cooking, Peter Collin Publishing
Mosby's Handbook of Herbs & Natural Supplement
International Dictionary of Homeopathy
Dictionary of Human Geography
Penguin Dictionary of Mathematics
Dictionary of Medical Acronyms & Abbreviations
Mosby's Dental Dictionary
Benders' Dictionary of Nutrition and Food Technology
Penguin Dictionary of Physics
Roget's II The New Thesaurus
Saunders Comprehensive Veterinary Dictionary
Academic Press Dictionary of Science and Technology
Taber's Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary
World of Sociology, Gale

With thanks to librarian, Barbara L for this blog post.

Ahoy! Talk like a Pirate Day

September 19^th marks the annual “Talk like a Pirate Day”. Fancy some “aye-brary” research?!

If so, set sail for campus libraries for some assistance finding information about pirates, from the fanciful to the historic, we will have treasures to satisfy.

For a little fun, find your pirate name.

Cheers mate,

Iron Mary Flint

Food for Thought Forum and Festival (Sept 19-20)

The tenth annual Food for Thought Festival, sponsored by the REAP Food Group, will celebrate healthy food traditions and the quest to eat sustainably by tapping the seasonal harvest of local producers.

The Friday Night Forum, 125 Agricultural Hall (7:30-9:30 PM) will feature a panel of speakers including Michael Ableman (writer and founder of the Center for Urban Agriculture, Fairview Gardens), David Swanson (Chef-Owner, Braise on the Go), and Kay Jensen (JenEhr Family Farm).

Saturday festival events will be held just off the Capitol Square on Martin Luther King Blvd. from 8:00 AM until 1:30 PM. Enjoy cooking demonstrations, information tables, tasty samples, activities and raffle prize opportunities.

Climate Change is Global Forum (Sept 18-19)

The Holtz Center for Science & Technology Studies, in collaboration with the Nelson Institute, will host a free public forum at the Pyle Center on global climate change—what can and should be done.

The forum will begin on Thursday evening (September 18) at 7:00 PM with a panel presentation addressing such issues as carbon trading, food supply and public policy issues.

Friday evening (September 19, also at 7:00 PM) will feature a keynote lecture from climatologist Stephen H. Schneider on “Global Warming: Is the Science Settled Enough for Policy?” A reception will follow the keynote.

Assignment Calculator

Calendar your steps to completing your class assignments. The Assignment Calculator, available from the College Library website, enables you to enter your start and anticipated end dates to generate a step-by-step plan of action for developing your topic, finding and evaluating resources, and beginning the writing process. Each stage of the plan will suggest strategies for successfully completing that stage.

Of related interest and support, check out the services offered by the UW-Madison Writing Center:

Free Workshops

Help for individuals

Writer’s Handbook

Get Clued In!

Know anyone who could use a refresher on using library resources? If so, then suggest taking the CLUE Tutorial—a multimedia tutorial of five short modules reviewing aspects of college-level research expectations, the UW-Madison Library system, library research strategies, and searching catalog and journal literature databases.

Access CLUE

Links to the CLUE Tutorial can also be found on the UW Libraries Website, from the Help and Guidance pull-down menu.

Plant Sale (Sept 12-14)

The Horticulture Club is hosting its annual plant sale, September 12 - 14 (from 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM) at the Stock Pavilion. Club members will be selling a variety of houseplants including cacti, succulents, orchids, and, additionally, garden mums.

A nice way to add a lively touch to dorm, home or office décor.

Free READ Posters

While supplies last, collect a free READ poster from the Information Services/Reference desk. The poster features Coach Bo Ryan and members from the men's basketball team including Joe Krabbenhoft, Jon Leuer, Marcus Landry, Brian Butch and Trevon Hughes. Coach and players are shown holding copies of David Maraniss’ biography of Roberto Clemente.

Fun for dorm, house or office.

Wisconsin Eat Local Challenge (Sept 5-14)

Reduce your food miles by purchasing and consuming locally-grown and seasonal food products. The Challenge site enables you to register and to document your food purchases. The site also lists delicious options for sourcing this food bounty, (including farmers’ markets, farms and grocers), recipes and tips for making it work for you.

Why do it? Benefits of local eating

Farm Fresh Atlases

Allen Textile Collection Open House (Sept 9-10)

The Helen Louise Allen Textile Collection is a remarkable collection of textiles and costumes of artistic, cultural and historic interest. The collection is named for Helen Louise Allen, a professor from 1927 until 1968, who, as an expert in the history of textiles, weaving and embroidery sowed the seeds of this collection with her own that had been used in her instruction.

The open house will feature a display of textiles and costumes in conjunction with the Madison World Music Festival.

When: Tuesday and Wednesday (September 9-10) from 4:30-6:30 PM

Where: Room 378, Human Ecology, 1300 Linden Drive

Campus Book Delivery

Campus libraries can deliver available books to the library locations that are most convenient for you. Search the MadCat catalog for the book(s) you need. From each item record, click the Place Requests button (at the top of the page) in order to generate the request.

Once you have logged in with your campus ID number and last name, select “retrieve from shelf.” On the following screen, you will be prompted to select a library pick-up location and to enter your ID number once more.

Please allow 1-3 days for items to reach their destination. You may check the status of your request by logging in to “My MadCat Account.” An email message will be sent when your items are available for pick-up.

Click here for more information about Article and Book Delivery Services.

Need Coffee or Lunch?

A question we often hear from our library users during their time in our building is ‘where can I go for some coffee or a meal’?

If you need a quick snack, the library has a vending area on the first floor which includes a hot beverage machine (coffee drinks and hot chocolate). While we are not able to furnish beverages and food beyond what our building’s vending machines can accommodate, we can suggest some area dining options. Visit the links to view hours of operation, menus and daily specials.

Bon appétit!

Babcock Dairy Store (coffee, deli, ice-cream)

Carson Gulley Commons, Carson's Carryout (carry-out, convenience foods/grocery)

Holt Commons, Common Grounds (coffee/snack shop) and Frank’s Place (cafeteria)

Microcosm Café (coffee, hot entrees, Union deli)

Practice Safe Computing

The CIO and Vice Provost for Information Technology reminds students and staff to practice safe computing using common sense and software solutions that will defend one’s computer against viruses and spam. For more information, visit the news, tips and security information page.

Other useful links from the site:

Backup Your Data

Phishing/Email Scams (Identifying)

Protect Your Identity

Smart Social Networking

Campus Ice Cream Social (Sept 4)

All students and staff are invited to come meet the new Chancellor, Carolyn “Biddy” Martin, at the campus ice cream social on Bascom Hill, Thursday, September 4^th. The event will run from 4:00-5:30PM with Babcock ice cream available while supplies last.

The Babcock Dairy Plant has even crafted a new flavor for the event, “Strawbiddy Swirl” featuring a vanilla ice cream base with strawberry slices, strawberry marble and dark chocolate flakes.

Back to School Stats

Did you know that the projected number of students enrolled in the nation’s colleges and universities this fall is some 18.4 million students?!

The US Census Bureau Newsroom, “Facts for Features” page supplies collections of statistics from the Bureau's demographic and economic subject areas that serve to commemorate particular holidays and events. Each stat and statement is accompanied by a link to the data source.

Check out the stats on “Back to School”

Laptops and Group Study Rooms

Check out a laptop or reserve a group study room at Steenbock Library.

Visit the Laptop Checkout System page to find an available laptop from campus lab locations. In addition to PC or Mac laptops, you can use this system to find available cameras (still or video) and projectors.

Reserve a group study room online with the Study Room Reservation system page. This online system can enable you to search for rooms by date and location, find amenities and policy information regarding use of the rooms and place reservations, as needed, at College, Ebling, Memorial and Steenbock libraries.