Feb 4, 2013

Besides coffee, students have another resource to turn to in the late night hours when writing a paper. College of the Mainland’s LibGuides, free online resources created by COM library staff on a variety of topics, provide students with accurate research sources and demonstrate how to use available resources.
 
The most recent guide, How to Use EBSCO eBooks LibGuide, is the third COM Library LibGuide to be named the Best of LibGuides. The title Best of LibGuides is granted by Springshare LLC, the developer of the LibGuide application that is used by more than 3,000 schools from University of Texas to Oxford, and it denotes guides that it recommends as models.

“Each LibGuide is designed to help our students. They have been popular,” said Kathryn Park, the director of the COM Library.
 
Park created the new LibGuide that gives students step-by-step instructions on how to use EBSCO eBooks, an online eBook database available to COM students. The multimedia guide incorporates visuals from screenshots to YouTube videos to simplify the process for students.  

“Students have to be able to research. It’s our mission—showing students what constitutes research and how to use critical thinking skills to evaluate research,” said Park.

COM LibGuides are freely accessible online. Last year, they were accessed 431,458 times through computers around the world. As a research resource, they are part of the ever-changing world of information.
 
“We make changes as needed, constantly keeping up-to-date,” said Park.
 
COM has developed 117 LibGuides on topics ranging from information ethics to Microsoft Office to psychology. The LibGuides also embed the LibAnswers program, which lets students ask a librarian any question online during library hours and get an answer within 10 minutes.
 
“We have a lot of offer. You have to be where students are and that’s online,” said Park.

To access LibGuides, visit COM Library’s website at http://libguides.com.edu.