Library Resources for Special Education Students

1. Go to the libraries’ homepage http://library.missouri.edu/.

Click Classic Catalog (MERLIN)

2. On the next screen you can see that there are a number of options to choose from.

We will begin by taking a brief look at the options listed on the right-hand portion of the screen.

3. New Search provides the option of a new search.

By clicking on My Library Account you are taken to a site with a number of choices including the ability to see a list of the items that you have checked out and renew them if you desire to do so. 

Course Reserves allows you to see the materials placed on reserve for a class.

New Books, DVDs, etc.  lists recent library acquisitions.

Find Articles allows you to search for journal articles.

MERLIN (UM) Libraries lists all the MERLIN libraries (i.e., Missouri S&T, MU, MU-Law, UMKC, UMKC-Law, UMSL, and the State Historical Society.)  Clicking on the link for a specific library takes you to that library’s homepage.)

New MOBIUS Search allows you to search the catalogs of all of the academic libraries in Missouri.

Help is a compilation of FAQs relevant to the MERLIN/MOBIUS Catalogs.

Espanol allows you to see the page in Spanish.

简体中文 converts the page to 简体中文/

4. On the left-hand portion of the screen you’ll find the options allowing you the search the catalog.

5. Quick search is the default option.  This allows you to search by Keyword, title (even if you only know the first few words of the title), periodical title (even if you only know the words that begin the title) and author.

Also note the pulldown menu next to the command box.  By default, it is limited to this campus, clicking it allows you to extend your search to other MERLIN Libraries (i.e., libraries belonging to the University of Missouri System)

6. We will perform a Quick Search using the keyword option.  Without knowing a specific title but desiring to see a handbook of special education, I type "handbook special education" in the command box and submit.

7. With 271 hits, I would like to modify my search.

8. Clicking modify provides me with all of the options available for limiting my search.  I am most interested in the currency of my research so, I limit my search to items published between 2010 and 2016.
 

9.  Submitting this modification, provides me with significantly fewer hits.  Although, several of these hits seem interesting, the 2^nd item appears particularly relevant.

10. This initial screen shows the tile, editor (or author), publisher and publication data.  Moreover, the entry shows that the item is located in Ellis Library and not one of the other possible libraries on campus (i.e., Engineering, Geology, Health Sciences, Journalism, Law, Mathematical Sciences, Missourian Newspaper, the State Historical Society, University Archives, Veterinary Medical).  The call number  LC3969.45 .H354 2014  places it on 2 East which is a fact that you can determine by clicking on  the MU Ellis link which takes you to this screen showing the location of Library of Congress Call Numbers in the building (see Location Guide below).  Under Status, note that the item is NOT CHECKED OUT.  If it were, there would be a date indicating when it is due to be returned.

11. If you click on the title, you are taken to this screen:

The MERLIN record for this item includes the citation, the table of contents, subject headings (which can be quite helpful in modifying a search, author links and other information.

12. I would like to read a book titled Special Education International Perspectives Practices Across the Globe.

13. This is an online book.  To access it, I click on MU online access via Community College Subscription Collection

14. There are several ways to actually read this book.  I clicked on PDF Full Text.

15.  I can now see the cover of the book plus the table of contents.  Being interested in special education practices in Africa, I click that chapter.

16. I can now see the title page of the chapter with navigation symbols on the bottom of the screen.

17. I click the forward navigation symbol a couple of times and can begin reading the chapter.

18. I would like to look at the Journal of Special Education.

19. On the next screen, I select #1 (Journal of Special Education) and select the online option in the resulting screen.

20. Select MU online access.

21.  In this instance choose Sage Publications.

22. I can now look at past issues, the current issue, and articles yet to be published.

23. I opt to review the current issue. Editorial Commentary seems particularly intriguing.  I select that entry and click on the PDF.

24. This promises to be a very interesting editorial.

I would like to read one of Professor Cathy Newman Thomas’ books.

25. There isn’t anything by the author in the campus catalog.  So I extend my search to All MERLIN.

26. This book belongs to several MERLIN Libraries.

27.  Unfortunately, at this time, libraries cannot provide access to their specific online holdings to anyone not affiliated with their institution.

I am going to extend my search to MOBIUS.  Since merely clicking on MOBIUS Search would result in extending the search for this specific item rather than searching my author, I am going to perform a New MOBIUS Search.

28. I know that the 2^nd record is not for the previously viewed item so I select that one.

29. This connects me to another record for the book.  I will click on the access point and see what happens.

I identify myself as belonging to MOBIUS-MERLIN and submit.

30. Provide the additional information requested.

31. You now have access to the book

32. I am now going to search Cathy Newman Thomas again but as a keyword search.

33.  A number of these items bear no relevance whatsoever to the work of Cathy Newman Thomas however several do.  You can oftentimes guess from the title whether or not it is within the sphere of the scholar you are looking for.  However, it is probably safer to search records individually to make certain.

34. Although several of the 14 items found in this search have entries relevant to Cathy Newman Thomas, let us look at the first one.

You can see that Cathy Newman Thomas wrote one of the chapters included in this book.

35. Select Advanced.

36. You can now use the pull down menus to combine keyword, author, title and other search options. The lower portion of the form provides options that can restrict your search to a specific school, library, language, time period, format and material type.  Moreover, you can determine whether you would like Conference Proceedings or items in digital format.

37. Select Subjects.  Type periodicals special education and submit your request.

38. There are a number of subject headings related to this search. Click on #1.

39.  You can now select from any of the publications listed.

40. Selecting Number/Other allows you to search by various numbers associated with the library record for an item.  Plus, you can see what items may have been donated to the collection.