Cerro Coso Faculty can recommend new titles for purchase. This helps us achieve a collection of adequate scope, depth, and quality.

We purchase:

• Print Books
• Encyclopedias
• Electronic Books
• DVDs
• Subject-specific Databases

We do not purchase textbooks.

Use the Purchase Request Form to recommend new titles.

On-Campus (face to face) Instruction

The Cerro Coso librarians can assist with instructing your students how to research using library resources.

Arrange for a targeted "Library Instruction" session for your classes. Either bring your class into the library computer lab or the librarian can visit your classroom.

These sessions can be tailored to a specific assignment or a specific resource.

Handouts and library instructional guides provided.

Off-Campus (Online) Instruction

Librarians can create online learning objects using screencast technology to embed into your online course that teach your students how to access a specific library resource.

Add one of the librarians as a "guest lecturer" in your online class during the weeks your students are working on a research assignment. She can set up a discussion forum or live chat to answer your students' questions.

Schedule Library Instruction/Orientation

The Learning Resource Center has audio (tapes, cds), video (tapes, dvds), and equipment for use by the faculty and staff.

Please make requests for audiovisual equipment at least 2 days in advance. All equipment must be picked up by faculty.

If you need videos for instruction, please search video titles in the Library Catalog .

Available Equipment

• Audio Cassette Player
• DVD Player (located in most classrooms)
• Overhead Projector (located in most classrooms)
• Video Camcorder
• Video Player or TV/VCR Combination

Please email reference@cerrocoso.edu to request equipment.

Your use of copyrighted materials in the classroom does not always fall under the fair use exemption in copyright law. To find out what is fair and what is copyright infringement, ask a librarian or review the documents below.

• Copyright for Instructors
• Copyright for Students

Why Assign Research Topics?

By integrating research assignments into your curriculum, you can help ensure that your students improve their critical thinking and research skills and learn to wade through a deluge of data to find trustworthy resources, which will prepare them for future research at school, at work, and in life.

Before Assigning a Topic

Make sure you know what resources are out there first! Ask a librarian to see what is available locally. If the library doesn't have sufficient resources for your topic, recommend some reading or put something on reserve at the library so it will be available for your students.

When creating your assignment, ask yourself the following questions:

• What types of sources do I want my students to use?
• Do my students know how to locate, analyze, and cite outside sources?
• How does working on this assignment improve information-seeking skills?

Schedule a library session for your class or for yourself if you aren't sure!

Tips

• Vary the types of sources (books, database articles, websites, etc.) required for your assignment so students get used to locating and using multiple sources.
• Construct a list of academic resources to give students an idea of where to start.
• Schedule a trip to the library or ask your librarian to create a list of some appropriate resources to help students complete the assignment.

Sample Assignment Ideas

• Annotated Bibliography: Annotate each citation with a summary of the source, how it was found, and how it was useful to research.
• Biography: Write on a scholar or researcher in your field of study.
• Comparisons: Compare and analyze information from two different sources, explaining which one might be more credible and why.
• Critical Thinking: Select a published opinion piece and find facts to support it. Cite sources, discuss reliability, and consider how the sources could be used in other ways.
• Literature Review: Summarize the literature on a specific topic. Identify key articles or studies and trace the evolution of thinking on that topic through modern times.
• Creative Alternatives: Construct webpages, blog posts, magazine articles, or posters that summarize a topic, analyze information, and link to outside sources.