Trout Library Blog

Trout Library recently acquired Rowman & Littlefield's Empowering You book series, which consists of eight short works that provide insights and tips for young people regarding important issues that they or their friends might be facing, such as stress, grief, and coming out. The books are easy to read and should be very helpful to anyone facing the issues that they address. Please feel free to come into the Library to check out any of the books. They can be found on the New Books display just inside the entrance.

Below we profile each of the books:

Dealing with Stress: Insights and Tips for Teenagers by Christie Cognevich

Call Number: 155.90420835 .C676 2022

Today's young people are dealing with stress at an unprecedented level. The inescapable flood of difficult news and world concerns can make anyone -- but especially the young -- feel isolated and anxious. This book offers relatable anecdotes and practical strategies to guide teenagers who are struggling with stress and mental health, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic and other life crises.

 

 

 

Depression: Insights and Tips for Teenagers by Christie Cognevich

Call Number: 616.852700835 .C676 2020

Adolescent depression is often dismissed as a normal teenage experience, a bad mood, or something to outgrow. This is far from the truth, and it is important that young people and their families and friends understand how crucial it is to address any social, emotional, and physical difficulties they are having. This book offers relatable situations and strategies to guide young people struggling with mental health, including how to identify signs of struggle, recognize stress factors, and use strategies to escape harmful mental habits that can leave individuals feeling vulnerable, helpless, or in despair.

 

 

Grief: Insights and Tips for Teenagers by Joe Jansen

Call Number: 155.9370835 .J35 2021

A compassionate guide to help young people and those they care about navigate the difficult path of grief. Learn how to honor the memory of those you have lost, what has helped other young people through the grieving process, and about the many resources available to you.

 

 

 

 

Coping with Parental Death: Insights and Tips for Teenagers by Michelle Shreeve

Call Number: 155.9370835 .SH561 2022

Losing a parent at any time in one's life is difficult, but losing a parent when young brings its own distinct challenges. This book, which includes stories of teenagers who have lost a parent, offers compassionate support for anyone struggling with the death of one or both of their parents.

 

 

 

 

A Loved One with Dementia: Insights and Tips for Teenagers by Jean Rawitt

Call Number: 616.8300835 .R257 2021

Offers insight into what dementia is and how you can interact positively with and assist someone who has dementia. Features personal anecdotes from young people who have gone through this themselves and thoughtful advice from professionals.

 

 

 

 

Friendship: Insights and Tips for Teenagers by Jean Rawitt

Call Number: 177.620835 .R257 2022

Explores the greater meaning of friendship as a deeply significant and fulfilling area of life, featuring lively and thoughtful anecdotes from young people who reveal their own expectations and experiences with friendship.

 

 

 

 

Coming Out: Insights and Tips for Teenagers by Kezia Endsley

Call Number: 306.7660835 .EN56 2021

Written from the perspective of the LGBTQIA+ community with firsthand accounts from fellow teenagers, this book offers compassionate insight into the hows and whys of coming out. Whether you are struggling with coming out yourself or wanting to help a friend or family member, the book seeks to provide answers to some of the questions that you may have.

 

 

 

 

Volunteering: Insights and Tips for Teenagers by Jean Rawitt

Call Number: 302.140835 .R257 2020

Provides a complete guide to the world of volunteerism, showing you how to become engaged in what could be among the most gratifying and worthwhile experiences of your life. Learn why volunteerism is so important both to the volunteers themselves as well as to those they serve. Also explore different types of volunteer opportunities and how to find and secure a rewarding volunteer placement.

 

Remember that if you need help with these resources or any others, we are always here to help you. You may come to the Library in person, call us at 610-526-6085, email us at library@harcum.edu, or use our chat service on the Library's homepage when it is available.

Bill Fanshel Evening/Weekend Librarian wfanshel@harcum.edu 610-229-9311

This was a frequent question in the past week. It's a great question. This week we look at how to use library databases to find peer-reviewed literature. 

Photo by Tamara Gak on Unsplash

What is peer review?

Researchers and scholars publish their research findings in academic journals. In order to maintain a high standard of scientific inquiry, academic journals rely on experts to review articles prior to publication.

Peer review is a process by which articles are evaluated by other experts prior to publication. These experts are other scientists and scholars in the same field as the article authors. The experts read and critically assess the article for rigor and scientific merit. Once an article passes through this process, it is published in a journal. Journals that require this process prior to publication are considered peer-reviewed or scholarly.

The benefit of using peer-reviewed literature is knowing that the research methods are of high quality and the data collected is credible. It has been vetted by experts in the same field of study. 

Where do we find peer-reviewed articles?

Peer-reviewed journals allow their publications to be included in academic databases. This allows us to search for peer-reviewed or scholarly articles. These databases are either open to the public or "open access" or behind paywalls and require subscriptions. A library will subscribe to academic databases so that students can have access to scholarly articles. 

Open access databases such as PubMed, PLOS One, and ScienceOpen contain primarily peer-reviewed journals. Use search filters to eliminate editorials, book reviews, and letters. Most of the remaining results will be peer-reviewed articles. If you want to be sure the article appears in a peer-reviewed journal, look up the website of the journal and look for any mention of peer review in their publication process.

Subscription databases such as EBSCOhost's Academic Search Complete, Dentistry & Oral Sciences Source, and CINAHL with Full Text contain peer-reviewed journals among other types of articles. These databases have filters that allow you to eliminate results that are not peer-reviewed. Here is a screenshot of the Dentistry and Oral Sciences Source search page showing the location of the "Scholarly (Peer Reviewed) Journals search limiter.  

A nice feature of these databases is that you can confirm the peer review status of the journal by looking up the journal in a publication search. Look for a link to Publications in the top menu and look up the title of the journal. The Publication Details for the journal will tell you if the journal uses a peer review publication process. 

We now have a page on peer review on our Research Help Guide which shows a few more details about finding peer-reviewed articles. 

As always, if you need any help with a research question, please contact the library staff.

EBSCO Discovery Search recently released a new search interface with updated features and more options for sharing, saving, and citing. If you are familiar with the library website, the search box you see at the top of the page allows you to run a search in EBSCO Discovery Search. EBSCOhost Discovery is a federated search. This means that it searches almost all of Harcum library's electronic and print materials in one search with the exception of Lexicomp, University of Fashion, and SIRS Issues Researcher. The new interface is designed to be more intuitive and similar to the Google interface. EBSCO now allows the creation of personal myEBSCO accounts using Google. Creating a personal myEBSCO account makes saving and organizing research material easier.

If you would like to learn more about EBSCO Discovery and the new features watch this video which we created and published on our YouTube Channel.

Trout Library has three book displays on the slatwall to the right of the front entrance. One is a New Books display that features selected items that are new to the collection, while the other two consist of themed books that often mark a particular month or season. We regularly change the books that are on display and encourage you to have a look at them when you come into the Library. Books on display may be checked out for the normal borrowing period, which is three weeks plus two automatic renewals.

To help you get started in college, we have created a Study Skills and College Success book display this month. We also have acquired a number of new books on the topic that can be found in the New Books display. The following books are some of the highlights from our displays:

The Freshman Survival Guide: Soulful Advice for Studying, Socializing, and Everything in Between by Nora Bradbury-Haehl; Bill McGarvey

Call Number: 378.198 .B798 2016

A values-based guide to navigating the first year of college that speaks to college students in their own language and offers practical tools that readers need to keep from drinking, sleeping, or skipping their way out of college.

 

 

 

 

The Mindful College Student: How to Succeed, Boost Well-Being, & Build the Life You Want at University & Beyond by Eric B. Loucks

Call Number: 378.198 .L886 2022

Offers powerful skills to increase academic success and boost mental, physical, spiritual, and emotional health -- now and for a lifetime. Learn positive coping strategies for dealing with stress, sadness, and anxiety -- including diet, fitness, and sleep habits. Discover three core self-regulation skills to help steer you toward the life you want, self-awareness, attention control, and emotion regulation.

 

 

 

Your College Experience: Strategies for Success by John N. Gardner; Betsy O. Barefoot

Call Number: 378.198 .G2275 2016

Offers today's diverse students the practical help they need to make the transition to college and get the most out of their time there.

 

 

 

 

How to Study in College by Walter Pauk; Ross J. Q. Owens

Call Number: 378.170281 .P2811 2014

Sets students on the path to success by helping them build a strong foundation of study skills and learn how to gain, retain, and explain information. Teaches study techniques such as visual thinking, active listening, concentration, note taking, and test taking, while also incorporating material on vocabulary building.

 

 

The Greatest College Health Guide You Never Knew You Needed: How to Manage Food, Booze, Stress, Sex, Sleep, and Exercise on Campus by Jill Henry; Dave Henry

Call Number: 613.0433 .H521 2021

High school coaches Jill and Dave Henry break down the facts and deliver strategies for managing physical and mental health on campus. The coaches share their relatable true stories -- ranging from the ridiculous to the serious -- to discuss the five biggest health obstacles students face in college.

 

 

 

College Success for Students with Learning Disabilities: A Planning and Advocacy Guide for Teens with LD, ADHD, ASD, and More by Cynthia Simpson; Vicky Spencer

Call Number: 371.92 .SI613 2020

Offers students the knowledge, guidance, and strategies they need to choose a college effectively, prepare for university life, and make the most of their collegiate experience. Outlines the rights and responsibilities of students with learning disabilities. Gives advice on talking to professors and peers, getting involved, and asking for and receiving accommodations.

 

 

 

 

Juggling Higher Education Study and Family Life by Louise Webber

Call Number: 378.19822 .W371 2017

The author, herself a mother and lecturer when she completed her postgraduate studies, draws on the stories of women as they negotiate support from their partners and families. Applying theoretical perspectives, she suggests practical and effective strategies for combining study and family life.

 

 

 

 

501 Ways for Adult Students to Pay for College: Going Back to School Without Going Broke by Gen Tanabe; Kelly Tanabe

Call Number: 378.30973 .T1537 2013

Teaches adult students how to find and win scholarships designed especially for them, obtain financial support from employers, get financial aid for distance learning, receive larger financial aid packages, take advantage of educational tax breaks, trade tuition costs for volunteer service, and cancel education debts with loan forgiveness programs.

 

 

 

 

Winning Scholarships for College: An Insider's Guide by Marianne Ragins

Call Number: 378.30973 .R1269 2013

Contains information on hundreds of academic scholarships -- from the most well-known resources to smaller, more localized funds. Guides readers through the use of the Internet and social media in their scholarship search and gives detailed suggestions for essays with examples from the author's own highly successful scholarship search. Special chapters focus on helping middle class scholarship seekers, home schooled students, those without an A average and even students as young as age six.

 

Remember that if you need help with these resources or any others, we are always here to help you. You may come to the Library in person, call us at 610-526-6085, email us at library@harcum.edu, or use our chat service on the Library's homepage when it is available.