Navigating Knowledge: A Comprehensive Guide to Northern Illinois University Library Resources
The Northern Illinois University (NIU) Libraries offer a wealth of resources to support students, faculty, and researchers in their academic pursuits. Comprising Founders Memorial Library and three branch libraries-Faraday Library and the Music Library-the NIU Libraries system is deeply integrated with the I-Share System, a network of 145 academic institutions throughout Illinois. This interconnectedness allows users to efficiently locate research materials across a wide range of institutions. Access to these resources is conveniently available via the World Wide Web.
Core Infrastructure: Founders Memorial Library
The heart of the NIU Libraries system is Founders Memorial Library. This six-level facility provides 327,000 square feet of space and seating for 1,600 students. Each floor houses specific collections and services designed to meet diverse academic needs.
The first floor serves as a central hub for essential library services. Here, users can find the circulation desk for borrowing and returning materials, the reference desk for research assistance, and the Accessibility Resource Room for students with disabilities. Library instruction services are also located on this floor, along with document delivery services, the reserves collection, periodicals collection, and media collection. The Scholars’ Den provides a collaborative study space.
Moving to the second floor, users can access microforms, the map collection, and government publications. The Writing Center and the Test of Academic Proficiency Tutoring Center are also housed here, offering support for writing and academic skills.
The third floor is home to the Digital Convergence Lab, providing access to technology and digital resources. The Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) tutoring center and the Reading Assistance Center offer additional academic support services.
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The fourth floor is dedicated to unique and specialized collections. The Regional History Center and Archives preserves historical documents and records related to the region. Rare Books and Special Collections houses valuable and unique materials. The Southeast Asia collection supports research and scholarship related to the region.
Faraday Library caters to the science community, serving faculty and students in chemistry and physics. Similarly, the Music Library supports the music curriculum with specialized resources and collections.
Accessing Diverse Databases
NIU Libraries provide access to a wide array of databases catering to various disciplines and research interests. These databases offer full-text articles, abstracts, and other resources to support scholarly inquiry.
One of the most comprehensive resources is Academic Search Premier. As the world's largest academic multi-disciplinary database, it offers full text for nearly 4,700 publications, including over 3,600 peer-reviewed journals. This database is an invaluable tool for researchers across various fields.
For those interested in the history of libraries, the "Libraries in the United States, prior to 1876" dataset provides a wealth of information. Covering 9,800 libraries in existence within the United States prior to 1876, this dataset offers access into the history and evolution of university libraries in the United States and the growth of their collections for over 80 types of libraries, searchable on 14 fields. Also view original Unisort data cards.
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ERIC (Educational Resources Information Center) is the premier database for education research. With over 1.8 million journal articles, official reports, and other educational research resources, ERIC provides comprehensive coverage of the field.
JSTOR offers an online, full-text archive of complete backfiles of scholarly periodical literature since 1872. Journals are intended to be archival, not current; most are 2-5 years behind the current issues, depending on the journal. This resource is particularly useful for historical research and accessing seminal works in various disciplines.
For researchers seeking funding opportunities, Funding Institutional provides data on active funding opportunities, awarded grants, and funder profiles. This resource is designed to help institutional stakeholders identify and secure funding for their projects. Registration is mandatory for all users.
Navigating Digital Collections
The Digital Collections of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Library offer a wealth of digitized materials, including books, manuscripts, photographs, and other historical documents.
It is important to acknowledge that some items in the Digital Collections may contain materials which represent or depict sensitive topics or were written from perspectives using outdated or biased language. The Library condemns discrimination and hatred on any grounds. As a research library that supports the mission and values of this land grant institution, it is incumbent upon the University Library to preserve, describe, and provide access to materials to accurately document our past, support learning about it, and effect change in the present.
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Library Instruction and Support
NIU Libraries are committed to providing instruction and support to help users effectively navigate and utilize library resources. Librarians offer instruction to classes as part of the University Libraries library instruction program. This instruction covers basic information literacy skills and, for upper-level classes, in-depth instruction related to materials in particular subject areas.
The course UNIV 105, Introduction to Library and Information Research, provides a broad overview of information literacy concepts as related to the library, including locating, evaluating, and using all types of resources. This course is highly recommended for students seeking to develop their research skills.
Guiding Resources and Personnel
NIU libraries provide a variety of guides to collections and services. These materials are available online at www.library.niu.edu.
The NIU Libraries boast a dedicated team of professionals committed to supporting the academic community.
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