LIBRARY GUIDE
IST 110 - Knowledge Management

Contact: Judy Lichtman, Reference Librarian
Location: PSLV Library
Email: jkl1@psu.edu

finding books

The CAT is Penn State's online catalog of over 4 million volumes, as well as videos, audio cds, maps, musical scores, dissertations, newspapers, journals, and more.

Go to the CAT

Search Tips:

To find a book on a topic, do a Keyword Search. Enter a word or phrase in the search box. You may want to combine terms using AND, OR, and NOT. To identify appropriate subject terms, find a relevant book by doing a keyword search, then check its subject terms on the detail screen.

To find a book when you know the title or author, use the Browse Search. Enter the title or author (type last name first), choose what library or libraries you want to search, then click the appropriate search type at the bottom.

Students may borrow books from any Penn State campus. To search all Penn State libraries, choose ALL from the In Library menu. To order books from other campuses, use the I Want It button at the top of every detail page.

Sample Searches:

Topic:Title+Subject / 'knowledge management'
(enclose a phrase in single quotes)

Other Resources:

Quick Guide to the CAT

Books Elsewhere:

If you need a book not owned by Penn State Libraries, it may be available from another library. Check The VEL, a catalog of all CIC (Big 10) universities' library holdings, RLG (RLIN), a union catalog of over 150 research libraries, (PALCI), a consortium of PA academic libraries, or WorldCat, with 38 million items in libraries around the world.
Note: Books requested from other institutions may take longer to arrive and have shorter loan periods.

Libraries Borrowing Policies:
Loan periods are usually four weeks but books can be recalled for another user. Respond promptly to library notices to avoid fines. For more information see the University Libraries Lending Code.

finding articles

Search Tips:
Finding the best articles on your topic requires a number of steps.

• Select a database from the E-Resource List or the list below
• Enter and combine terms appropriate to your topic
• Look at the best references you retrieve and determine the subject terms used for those articles. Then revise your search using these new terms.
• Email, print, or make note of all pertinent information (called the 'citation') including the journal title, volume, date, and page numbers.
• Explore other databases and subject terms (which vary between databases) for more information.

Suggested Databases:

Information Science Abstracts Plus

Sample search: (Use Advanced search)
knowledge management / descriptor

ACM

Sample search: knowledge management

Tip: Check "Peer-to-Peer: Readers of this article have also read" and the list of references for additional information on the topic.

ProQuest Direct

Sample searches: (Use Guided Search)
knowledge management / subject

knowledge management/subject AND software/subject AND product review (Article Type)

Tips: Change the date range from "Current" to "Backfile" or "Deep Backfile" for additional information. Limit to "Peer Reviewed Publications Only" to identify scholarly articles.

Dow Jones Interactive

Sample searches: (In the "Library")
knowledge management / headline only

Other Resources:

ProQuest Quick Start Guide

Get the full text:
Once you find the citation, you may find the full text linked from the database. If not, finding the complete article requires additional steps. Check to see if Penn State has access to the electronic version by searching the e-journals list (note; this may take you to a publisher’s site where you have to search your journal title again). See if Penn State owns the print version by searching the journal title in the Browse mode of The CAT.

finding Internet info

The Internet is a valuable information source if it is used wisely. Avoid long hours of searching and shoddy information by using "best of the web" sites compiled by researchers and librarians.

When using a search engine like Google, try the "Advanced Search" option for more search limits.

finding reference sources

Reference books are usually referred to for aid and information rather than read cover to cover. They generally do not leave the library. Types of reference books include dictionaries, encyclopedias, handbooks, directories, and atlases.

To identify a reference work on a topic, consult The CAT. Do a Keyword Search and select Reference Book from the Material Type menu. Limit the search to the Penn State Lehigh Valley Library.

Selected Reference Books

Lehman, Jeffrey, ed. Gale Encyclopedia of Multicultural America. 2 vols. Detroit: Gale, 1999.
call #: REF E184.A1 G15 1999

Levinson, David and Melvin Ember, eds. American Immigrant Cultures: Builders of a Nation. 2 vols. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1997.
call #: REF E184.A1 A63448 1997

Vecoli, Rudolph J., et. al., eds. Gale Encyclopedia of Multicultural America: Primary Documents. 2 vols.
call #: REF E184.A1 G14 1995

finding APA style

APA Style.org - Electronic reference formats from the American Psychological Association
Social Sciences: Documenting Sources (APA Style) - Formats for print and electronic sources
DocsCite - Choose a style and document type, enter the information, and DocsCite will automatically produce an APA or MLA citation.

finding help

For additional library research assistance, stop by the library reference desk or email Judy Lichtman, jkl1@psu.edu.

last updated 10/14/2002