Research and Instruction
| Research and Instruction provides assistance to meet the research needs of Sam Houston State University students, faculty, staff and the general public. Research and Instruction is comprised of the Research Services, the Reference Area, and Instructional Services. Research and Instruction is conveniently located near the 2nd floor main entrance. The Reference Area contains a collection of over 28,000 reference books, a centralized Reference Desk staffed by professional Librarians, and 20 computer workstations for library research. |  |
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The Library Reference Desk is staffed during all Library hours. Librarians will assist you in finding sources of information, articles, books, and other documents. In addition, Librarians can demonstrate how to search the Library catalog and databases and help you design research strategies. Each of the Librarians provide general reference assistance, but also specialize in specific subject areas. |
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Over 28,000 books including encyclopedias, handbooks, almanacs, dictionaries and guides make up the Reference Collection. These materials are an excellent starting point for research and contain background information for many subjects. Reference materials do not circulate, but you may make copies for your own use in the Copy Center located on the first floor of the Library. |
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The 20 workstations located in the Reference Area are reserved for students doing Library research. Members of the general public may sign up to use a computer if one is available. Access for the general public is limited to the Internet, with no word processing or printing privileges. |
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Individual Consultations provide personal research assistance to SHSU graduate and undergraduate students, faculty, and staff. Individual Consultations with a Reference Librarian can be scheduled in advance with the individual Librarian, or scheduled through the Reference Desk for a subject specialist Librarian. Call the Reference Desk at (936) 294-1599 OR 1-866-NGL-INFO (toll-free) and a subject specialist will return your call.
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The Library's Law Collection Includes the United States Code Annotated, United States Statutes at Large, Code of Federal Regulations, Federal Register, Supreme Court Reporter, National Reporter System, Vernon's Texas Codes Annotated, and West's Texas Forms, and many other relevant legal-related materials. |
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The Career Area contains job hunting and interviewing guides, resume and coverletter handbooks, and job-specific books.
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Subject guides provide basic information on how to get started with research in a specific discipline. Created by Librarians, the subject guides contain a list of major reference books, suggested journals, pertinent databases and webpages within an area of study. The subject guides are available online. All guides are also available in print at the Reference Desk. |
The Atlas Collection covers geographic regions at the world, country, and regional levels. Specific atlas topics include not only geographic, but also topographic, political, demographic, historical, and natural resources information. |
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The Adaptive Technology Area provides visually impaired students with resources such as large-screen monitors, scanners, a Braille printer, Zoom Text magnification software, and screen reading technology such as JAWS. |
Teaching faculty can schedule instructional sessions, designed specifically for their courses, covering such things as library research strategies, subject specific database instruction and general information literacy skills. |
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You can e-mail reference questions to the Newton Gresham Library Reference Department. Librarians will provide brief answers to factual questions or suggest locations and sources which might help in your research. Some questions are addresed in the Library FAQ. If you need assistance with an in-depth research project, please come to the Library Reference Desk or call at (936) 294-1599 or 1-866-NGL-INFO (toll-free) to schedule an appointment with a librarian. |
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Ask-a-LibrarianMediated Searching is a service whereby a professional Librarian performs a systematic search of databases, usually in the DIALOG database, for SHSU faculty and staff. |  |
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The Online Instruction Series is comprised of Instruction Modules and Online Tutorials, providing a way for individual students to learn about using electronic resources. In the Instruction Modules there are short audio and video instructions on various aspects of library research such as: “Find a Book”, “Find an Article”. The Online Tutorials instruct users in how to evaluate and locate information throughout the library, including using the library catalog, online databases and the Internet. Each module of the tutorial requires students to pass a quiz to continue on to the next module, and there is a printable “certificate of completion” at the end of each tutorial. |
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A program designed to provide individual assistance to doctoral students (and master's students engaged in thesis research) in utilizing Library resources. Students are assigned one Librarian who works with them during their entire course of study. Ask at the Library Reference Desk or see One to One for more information. |
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Research and Instruction also provides research assistance and instruction in the use of library resources, especially the electronic resources, for SHSU students enrolled in SHSU's off-campus courses. This instruction can be via email, or telephone, (936) 294-1599 or 1-866-NGL-INFO (toll-free), what ever is most convenient for the student. |
Library tours meet at the Reference Desk on the 2nd floor of the Newton Gresham Library. To sign up, please call the Reference Desk at (936) 294-1599 OR 1-866-NGL-INFO (toll-free). Workshops on specific subject area databases and Library software resources are given at the beginning of each semester. Dates, times and locations will be posted on the Library webpage. |  |
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Revised 06-2007
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