D'Youville Library Dispatch

New graduate guide to library resources for staying informed, educated and entertained

Congratulations to our new graduates this spring. As you embark on the next chapter of your life, the library would like to let you know that we are here for you.

Although the library continues to serve you as an alumni of the university, there are some materials that are no longer available to you. Many of our online resources have licensing restrictions from publishers that only permit current student and faculty access. These include ebook, streaming video and full text journal databases.

This guide specifies which resources from D'Youville you can continue to use as well as where you can find free replacements to help you with your research, organization and recreational needs.
 

Library Memberships

Signing up for a card at a library is a good place to start. Many of the resources that you might want can be found in a library. Below are three library options to get you started.

The D'Youville Library is still an option for those that need a place to study or are looking to check out a good book to read. You will just need to sign up for a free card from the D'Youville Alumni office. The card does offer several perks in addition to library use, so this is a smart choice.

A great option for New York State residents is the New York City Public Library System. The NYC Public Library membership is free to state residents and opens a whole new world of access to you. The NYPL is the largest public library system in the nation. People from around the world use the extensive resources at the NYPL for research and recreation. Sign up for a free account and card to access their resources.

Don’t forget about the Buffalo and Erie County Library. While their collection isn’t as large, they have many of the same resources as the New York Public Library. This is a great option if you are staying local and need to do some research or find something to read. They have an Interlibrary Loan service allowing you to order books, dvds and other materials not found in their collections. Sign up for a library card to start using their services.

The public library examples above work best for those that live in New York, but their are comparable public library choices throughout the United States.

Libraries are the best option when you are looking for books to read. Most public libraries also provide Interlibrary Loan services, so they can get books that are not within their collections.

Other types of material may be found in a variety of places. Below are some good places to find free resources such as e-books, full text articles and streaming video.

E-books and Audiobooks

The Libby app is the most popular app to use for checking out e-books from libraries. All three of the libraries mentioned above use Libby. The app can be used to browse, select, and read e-books or audiobooks.

The Libby app is freely available for Apple, Android and can be used on most web browsers.

SimplyE is an app created by the New York Public Library for accessing e-books in their collection. It also connects to a large assortment of public domain and Creative Commons books. It is a free app and can be used on both Apple and Android devices.

Journal, Magazine and Newspaper Articles

Finding full text articles from scholarly journals, magazines and newspapers is a little more work. Many publications allow you to view a limited number of articles for free on their websites though.

If viewing an article on a publications web site is not available, you can check with your public library to see if they have an online subscription to the publication. The New York Public Library has over 100 of the top magazines and newspapers available for reading through the Flipster.

You might be more interested in research than in reading, you can try out some of the many journal article databases available. Visit the Research and Resources page from the Buffalo Public Library to view their large assortment of databases. The New York Public Library also boasts an impressive list of research databases (https://www.nypl.org/research/collections/articles-databases).

There are also many free, scholarly based research databases available on the Internet.

One of the most popular is Google Scholar. It is as easy to use as standard Google, but it only covers scholarly publications. Google Scholar will link out to full text when available.

Many "open access (OA)" research databases can be found on the Internet. Many of these databases specialize on particular topics such as medicine, business, agriculture, etc... Visit the "Open Access Database"  page on our website to browse and view some of these free resources.

You might also try out newer AI powered research tools. We have listed several tools that might be helpful for this purpose on our AI for Library Research page.

Video

Hoopla  has streaming video including popular movies. You can watch online or download the app to watch on your Apple or Android devices. Movies are free when you create an account with your library card. Each library has its own collection of titles so if you have accounts with multiple systems you can sign in for different content.

Fans of independent cinema will enjoy Projectr from the New York Public Library. This streaming platform includes award winning features, documentaries and artistic works from around the globe.

Citation Management

Zotero is free sofrware that helps you collect, organize and cite your research. It can be downloaded on computers using any of the major operating systems (Windows, Mac, Linux). It includes thousands of citation styles including MLA, APA, AMA and many, many more. You can also create folders that allow you to share your research with a team. You can also sync the data on each of your devices so you always have access to your research.

This list is just a starting point for finding quality content for free. As a new graduate we hope this information can help you to save money, stay informed and stay engaged.