Table of Contents

The Center's library collections

Obtaining library materials

Spouse/partner library privileges

Returning library materials

Electronic resources

How to access the Duke databases

How to access the NCSU databases

About the databases

Training in the use of online databases

End-of-year procedures

Local library information

Librarians
Eliza Robertson, Director, ext. 117
erobertson@nationalhumanitiescenter.org

Jean Houston, Associate, ext. 109
jhouston@nationalhumanitiescenter.org

Josiah Drewry, Associate, ext. 106
jdrewry@nationalhumanitiescenter.org

Fellows' research is supported by the National Humanities Center librarians and includes:

• a basic reference collection
  
• interlibrary loan
  
• access to electronic databases
  
• training in the use of electronic databases
  
• the cooperation of the area research libraries
  

It would be difficult to exaggerate the value of the collections and services to the Center that are provided by the libraries of Duke University, North Carolina State University, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Those libraries are the primary providers of books, photocopies, database access, and other research materials to our Fellows.

In early fall we will invite a group of subject specialists from the local libraries to have lunch here so you can make some of the research contacts you may need.

The Center's library collections     Top

• The Robert F. and Margaret S. Goheen Collection, sometimes called the "Fellows' Shelf," is in the glassed cases near the Birkelund Lounge and Abrams Reading Area. It consists of books published as a result of Fellows' research performed at the Center. These items may be used briefly in the library area, but for longer use please request that we borrow a copy.
• Reference books are arranged along the outside walls of the RJR Commons and the Abrams Reading Area.
• Journals and newspapers are located in the Abrams Reading Area and the lounge near the serving area.
• North Caroliniana are in the Birkelund Lounge.
• The Library of America series is on the West Wing stair landing.

• CD-ROMs:
• Encarta Africana
• The Encyclopedia of Islam
• Oxford English Dictionary
• Oxford 3-in-1 Bilingual Dictionary
• Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy

Obtaining library materials     Top

Fellows may (1) request books, photocopies, and other media by completing the Center online request form or (2) borrow items directly from the libraries with circulation cards that we provide.

1. Fill out online request form, one for books and one for journal articles, linked from the Library web page (nationalhumanitiescenter/library/). These forms are password protected. Please see the library staff to receive this password.

• Please fill out as completely as possible.
• Please do not use abbreviations.
• If you know the OCLC WorldCat number, or other identifiers, please include them, especially for older or foreign editions. OCLC numbers can be searched at www.worldcat.org.
• Be sure to include your name on the form.
• Please submit only one request per form. You will receive confirmation of your request via email for your own records.
• You may copy records from WorldCat or other library catalogs or databases and paste them into the Comments field on the form.

Every day we distribute requests for locally available materials to our own library assistants on each campus. Items usually arrive here within two or three days, and in most cases you may keep local books the entire academic year. When the requested materials have been received, a blue slip is placed in your mailbox, and materials are stacked on the table near the library for you to pick up.

If an item is not available locally, either because it's not owned by a local library or it's already checked out, your request will automatically be requested through interlibrary loan (ILL). It will take longer to receive these items, so if your request has not been filled within a reasonable time, please see Josiah. ILL items, which usually can be kept about three weeks, and short-term local loans have a paper band around the cover, on which the due date is prominently displayed. Our library service to you depends heavily on ILL borrowing, so in order to maintain good relations with our lenders, it is important that you observe due dates and return items promptly. Josiah will automatically try to renew ILL books, and will let you know when they are no longer renewable. Also note that we may be asked by the lending library to restrict use of items to the Center. Please do not photocopy fragile items here; we can have that copying done for you elsewhere. Occasionally one of your books may be recalled by the lending library. Please respond promptly to recall notices and tell the library staff if you would like a replacement copy.

2. If you're on campus at Duke, NCSU, or UNC-CH, you may check out books with your library borrower cards. Cards for Duke and UNC are given to you by the Center's library staff when you first arrive at the Center. Cards for NCSU are issued to you at the Circulation Desk at D. H. Hill Library. With your card you may borrow books for the standard circulation time, usually one month. The responsibility for returning books charged on an individual card rests with the Fellow. If you wish to renew books, you may do so by phone BEFORE the due date; or give the books to Jean BEFORE the due date and ask her to convert them to the Center's card.

Non-circulating materials at each of the local university libraries include reference materials, rare books, bound journals, and special subject collections. We encourage Fellows to visit the area libraries if you need to use non-circulating materials. The Center's librarians have guides and information you might need when planning such a trip. For more information on libraries, hours, and parking, see "Local library information," which appears later in this Guide.

Spouse/partner guest library privileges     Top

Duke: A Perkins System Card is available for an annual fee of $35. This card provides access to Perkins System Libraries and the Divinity Library. See library.duke.edu/services/borrow/card.html for more information.

UNC: A guest borrower card is available for an annual fee of $10. This card provides access to Davis Library and any other UNC Academic Affairs Library. Cards are issued at Davis Library Circulation Dept. (bring Driver's License and document containing current local address). See www.lib.unc.edu/circ/borrowers.html for more information.

Your home institution may allow you to be eligible for reciprocal faculty borrowing. See www.lib.unc.edu/circ/borrowers.html for more information.

Returning library materials     Top

To return books borrowed from other libraries, place a pink 'return to stacks' card in the book and either put it on the right side of the library table or hand it to one of the librarians.

Electronic resources     Top

The Library section of the National Humanities Center Web site includes links to the Web sites and catalogs of the area libraries, as well as links to other useful sites, search engines, databases, and online reference sources.

Electronic databases and online searching are available to us through the generosity of the libraries of Duke University and North Carolina State University. You may use the databases from computers in the Fellows Workroom and computers in your own studies. The NCSU databases can be accessed from any browser, with our ID number, but the Duke databases require that your computer be configured to use the Duke VPN client (Virtual Private Network). The Workroom computers already have VPN clients installed. For your office computers, please arrange with Joel to set up the Duke VPN client on your desktop.

How to access the Duke databases     Top

The Duke system requires a Duke Username and Password (see Eliza to register).

• Double click on your icon for the Duke VPN dialer.
• Click on "Connect."
• Enter your Duke Username and Password.
• Go to Duke's library home page: library.duke.edu/; click on "Articles & Databases" and select a database.
• When you finish, if the database you were using has an exit icon, use it to close the session.
• You will remain connected to the Duke databases until you again click on the VPN icon and choose "Disconnect" or until the session runs out.
• Be sure to disconnect when finished; remaining connected could affect your email client.

How to access the NCSU databases     Top

• Go to www.lib.ncsu.edu/.
• Click on "Databases."
• Select a database from subject or alpha list.
• When Login screen pops up, under "Affiliation Status," choose NCSU Libraries Patron, then "Continue Login", then enter the National Humanities Center's borrower ID and PIN number, available in the print version of this guide.
• When you finish, if the database you were using has an exit icon, use it to close the session.

About the databases     Top

Numerous databases both general and specialized are available to us. Among the bibliographic databases especially useful to humanities scholars are:

• WorldCat: The union catalog for OCLC, reflects the combined holdings of all OCLC members, and contains over 50 million bibliographic records. From before 1500-present.
• RLIN: The union catalog of the Research Libraries Group reflects the collections of major international research, academic, and national libraries, as well as archives and museums. From before 1500-present. Later this year RLIN will merge with WorldCat.

Citation indexes include:

• Arts & Humanities Citation Index: From ISI. Covers over 1,100 journals, providing complete bibliographic data, full-length author abstracts, and cited references. 1978-present.
• Periodicals Contents Index: Indexes thousands of selected international periodicals in the humanities and social sciences from 1770 to 1995. Also includes the complete table of contents for each issue of each journal.
• MLA International Bibliography: Citations on literary criticism, linguistics, modern languages, literature, drama, folklore, and film and video. 1963-present.

Some serials are available full-text online from databases like:

• JSTOR: Archived issues of academic journals. Articles are available as scanned versions of journal pages. 1800's-present.
• Project Muse: E-journals published by university presses covering the arts and humanities, social science, and mathematics. 1993-present.
• Lexis-Nexis: broad range of sources covering international news, business, legal, medical, and general reference research. 1970's-present.
• Academic Search Elite: Full text for over 1,300 journals, with abstracts and indexing for over 3,200 scholarly journals. 1984-present.

Many other scholarly databases are available through Duke and NCSU, in the areas of history, literature, classics, religion, art history, musicology, philosophy, etc. See metasearch.library.duke.edu/V?func=find-db-1&mode=category and www.lib.ncsu.edu/searchcollection/databases/ for more information.

Training in the use of online databases     Top

Early in the year we will offer database training sessions over lunch. Please see Eliza or Josiah if you would like one-to-one exploration sessions in any of the online resources we offer. A caveat concerning online searching: no single database provides all the information one might be looking for. If you think you need more comprehensive online searching than you can accomplish yourself, please see Eliza or Josiah.

End-of-year procedures     Top

Before leaving the Center at the end of the year, confer with the library staff to be sure that all books and materials charged out to you have been returned. You may return your library cards then as well. A bibliography of the library materials you borrowed through the Center will be provided to you before you depart.

Local library information     Top

Duke University Reference   -   Ph: (919) 660-5880 library.duke.edu/ (catalog, databases, online book renewal, subject specialists, hours, directions, more…) North Carolina State University Reference   -   Ph: (919) 515-2935 www.lib.ncsu.edu/ (catalog, databases, online book renewal, subject specialists, hours, directions, more…) University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Reference   -   Ph: (919) 962-1151 www.lib.unc.edu/ (catalog, databases, online book renewal, subject specialists, hours, directions, more…)