How to Take Advantage of the Online Library (for dummies) : A Beginner’s Guide

Written By Alexia Roberts

Here at SUNY Niagara, it’s not uncommon for students to feel like the library is just a place to study or print some papers, but many fail to realize that most of the handy-dandy tools are actually offered online. I myself desperately underestimated the resources that were right underneath my fingertips the whole time–or just didn’t understand how to take full advantage of them.

The Henrietta G. Lewis Library offers several different online databases to help students find research papers, articles, videos and so much more that isn’t always accessible from a simple Google search. So, when your professor starts asking for credible, reliable resources for that essay due next week–yes, this is the perfect place to start. But if it’s that easy, why aren’t more students taking advantage of them? Speaking from my own experience, most online databases aren’t exactly beginner-friendly. They can be ridiculously intimidating and overwhelming, especially opposed to just typing in what you’re looking for into a search engine that comes back with thousands of different shiny links to click. But once you get the hang of it, they can truly make your research so much faster and easier.

How Do I Start?
When going to SUNY Niagara’s library homepage, you can find the databases that are offered on the left hand side of the screen listed under “databases”. Okay, so now you’ve clicked on that and…woah…that’s a lot of options, right? Well, unless you’re confident in exactly what it is you’re looking for, I suggest scrolling all the way down and clicking on “Lewis Library Databases” which is listed under the A-Z Database option. Here, it’s a lot easier to sort through. Once you’re at this point, you can narrow down the subject you’re researching in the top left hand corner, and scroll through the options until you see it. Now, there’s a lot less to skim through.

I Found My Database…Now What?
Most of the databases follow the same structure when it comes to actually searching through material. The main thing here is going to be: keywords, keywords, keywords. Type your keywords into the search bar and from there, the database will likely give you the option to narrow it down even further whether you’re looking for specific dates, article types, or subjects. This helps cut through the cluttering results and helps you find only information that’s relevant to you. Once you get really good at this, there’s even advanced search options and research assistants for you to use…but, we’ll save that for another time.

What Else?
One feature often overlooked through the online library is the fact that students can get full access to scholarly articles that are otherwise unavailable or hidden behind paywalls. In simpler terms, you can’t usually find these articles on Google without paying for them. Through the Lewis Library, you can read and cite these credible articles for free. Win-win.

If the databases aren’t enough, or you’re still confused, the librarians at SUNY Niagara are here to help! They can assist with anything from narrowing down a topic to helping find the perfect credible resource. Trust me, they want you to ask for help! Their goal is to make sure students learn proper researching skills and feel comfortable navigating their way through the library. Next time you have a research paper due, try using the online databases or talking to a librarian; I guarantee it will be so much more efficient than doomscrolling through Google…and you’ll probably get a better grade too!