Lesson 7: WorldCat and More FirstSearch Indexes

Discovery Exercise Part 1: Upon logging into WorldCat, I was at first a bit overwhelmed by the homepage. I was happy to have the challenge instructions to walk me through my first search.  However, once I got through the first search, I was excited to try more. The breadth of the database is incredible. The limiters are impressive and the amount of information available is hard to wrap my head around. What a fantastic resource!

For my first search, I searched for Rules of Civility by Amor Towles. WorldCat found 60 records. However, since I did a tiltle search only, WorldCat also turned up results for George Washington's Rules of Civility and those of Antoine Courtin.  By selecting item #1 (Amor Towles), I can see that 1297 libraries worldwide have the item. The first library listed is Brookings Public Library in South Dakota. When I clicked on Brookings to see the full record, I received a 404 error letting me know that the file was temporarily unavailable. I selected item #2, Northern State University to see the full record. The call number is: Leisure Reading : PS3620.O945 R85 2011.  By clicking on the author's name and other subject headings, I am able to search the items within the Northern State University catalog. For example, I selected "Wall Street" and was able to view items in the library's holdings within that subject area.

Other First Search Indexes: I clicked around some of the other databases and decided to do a search in WorldCat Dissertations for my favorite college professor's dissertation. I was able to find both his master's and PhD work. I found the description of each database to be quite helpful and likely a time saving tool.

Discovery Exercise Part 2:  In OAIster, I selected an article titled "Dreams and Dust in the Black Hills: Race, Place, and National Identity in America's Land of Promise," a dissertation by Elaine Nelson. The article investigates concepts of displacement, the impact of the Ft. Laramie Treaty and introduces the idea that the Black Hills tourism industry has placed additonal stress on the socioeconomic challenges faced by the Lakota people.

I found OAIster straightforward and easy to use, especially after gaining some quick experience in WorldCat. I especially like that OAIster gives researchers the option to narrow results, and that the format for article abstracts, etc. is similiar to other databases we have explored, making it easy to scan for pertinent information. I was impressed by the variety of information available -- full text articles on South Dakota ranged from archaeology along the Missouri River, to indepth studies of Mule Deer to historic invesetigations like the article I selected. Overall, it is an excellent tool that proves easy to navigate and turns up first rate results.