A lot of what you asked will be answered in our session. Here are answers to the rest.
- #1 research tip: Be kind to yourself because research can be exhausting and time consuming. The way to counteract those feelings is curiosity.
- #2 research tip: ask a librarian. We librarians are often perplexed when you don't. We are the best kept secret on campus. Why struggle when an email inquiry or half hour chat with an expert can steer you in a new direction?
- #3 research tip (this one for first years): Read. Download the NYTimes app (it is free while you are a student) and read that. Read books for fun, read books outside of your research interests. Read aloud and ask to be read aloud to. Learn a language and read in that one.
- Is there a difference between high school and college research? Not really - there is just more of it and more resources to support you. Research, for me, is a mindset. Cultivate persistence and curiosity.
- Useful and underutilized library resources: paper books. It sounds librariany of me, but the way books are organized on shelves is a great way to do research. Shelving similar books together leads to serendipitous discovery. Since the UT Libraries never throws away books (we just keep storing them), you can find a wealth of unexpected volumes and new directions for your inquiry.
- Are all our books academic? No. We have literature, graphic novels, cookbooks, Tarot how-to guides. Anything can be academic if you are using it for school, of course. The very best way to look for a book is to talk to a librarian, but I will show you how to search on your own.
- Which library is right for me? I tend to choose my study spaces based on proximity to snacks and comfortable furniture. We have nine libraries on campus.
- How do we acquire new books? Librarians are experts within a discipline (fine arts, history, engineering) and they choose books for their collections. They take input from faculty members, sometimes graduate students, too. Same goes for subscriptions to journals.
- How do we prevent books from decaying? Oh my goodness. It is a Herculean task. Cold storage, dry conditions, glue, binding repair...all balanced with providing access to researchers.
- My favorite study space in PCL is the Map Room (it is quiet, has globes and the map librarian is my best friend), but my favorite study space on campus is a tie between the Life Science Library's stacks (they have little tables in nooks with individual lamps and windows!) and Engineering (because there are very good breakfast tacos in EER).
- Are there limits at the library? Not really. Check out as many books as you like. Return them when asked. Every space is open to you all the time, unless one of us is teaching a class in that space. Some group study rooms are reservable.
