A500.3.4.RB – Explore the Hunt Library

Exploring the Hunt Library

     Earlier in my college career I used to fear using the college library. I took the courses that teach you how to search and how to refine your searches; still, it was intimidating. I would google something about my topic and when I found something I wanted to use I would search for that title in the Hunt Library to make sure it was a "scholarly" source. But this was early in my college career and I have since learned how to make the Hunt Library my go to source for information for every paper I write.
     Finding a "scholarly" article is really what threw me in the beginning, but the Hunt Library makes everything so easy for you. When you are searching for something, you are able to click on the type of information you need; for example, journal article, transcript, or book. You can select if the information you are searching for needs to be scholarly or peer-reviewed, or both. It really takes the guessing game out of the equation and gives you peace of mind that you are using good references.
     Deciding if an article was scholarly or not, has always a very gray area for me. We are told that scholarly articles were written by scholars or professionals who are experts in their fields. But using that idea on an article that was found on a website is not so clear cut. There are certain other aspects that you have to look for; for example, was the information based on original research, does it include footnotes or a bibliography, was it published by an academic press, or was it written by a specialist in that field?
     The Hunt Library even has specific databases that you can search that will give you even more detailed articles to choose from. You can narrow your search to a specific discipline or year. In my time using the Hunt Library, I have found that I can find just about everything I need without ever having to Google anything. Plus, there is the added bonus of having the citation done for you. When you select an article, you can choose the citation tab and that article is already cited in APA format. It's a win, win.

     Using the Hunt library is like finding cheat codes for a video game. It practically does all the work for you, you just have to know what you are looking for. I hear people complain all the time about having to write a paper that needs scholarly reviewed sources and they are intimidated by this idea. I do my best to help them understand their schools’ library. I tell them how much easier life is once you get used to going to the library for their sources.
     I imagine that as long as I am in school, I will continue to use the Hunt Library for all of my paper-writing endeavors. Google will be there to give me ideas, but I will always rely on the Hunt Library when it comes to my writing.