How to do Research

Books have value in the initial stages of research, because you can take them home and review them for longer periods of time. Books provide more detail and specifics, and a more involved analysis or commentary. Although students often find books intimidating due to their length, you can search within the text of a print book by using the index or the Table of Contents, and eBooks allow you to search electronically for any occurrence of any word or phrase. You can also flip through and scan the pages, sampling various sections, get a pretty good idea of the contents, and then target the sections that are most relevant or useful. For research papers, you are not expected to read the entire book from beginning to end, although of course you can if you want to.

Browsing the books on the shelf can help you see the range or scope of topics within a broader subject area. Because books are organized on the shelves in the library by subject, books about the same or similar topic will be right next to each other on the shelf. Scanning the titles may spark interest, and you can easily see the newer books. Use the "Browse Books by Subject” list below to get started.

Library Materials

Many useful resources are available in the College of the Redwoods Library, including books, reference books, eBooks, and videos. Additional resources may be available at the Del Norte or Humboldt County Libraries and Cal Poly Humboldt Library. Visit those libraries' websites to search their catalogs. Use OneSearch to find books and other resources about your topic in the CR library and selected, college-level resources on the web.

Remember you can always ask for help. Librarians and library staff are glad to assist. Ask at the main services desk at the entrance to the Eureka Campus Library or the Del Norte site library. At Eureka, you can also ask the reference librarians for help, at the large circular desk in the center of the main library area, in front of the book shelves. From off campus, use the "Ask A Librarian" link to email your question to a librarian. We will answer your question as soon as we can, usually within 24 hours or less.

The CR Library isn't your only option for locating books.  Both Humboldt and Del Norte Counties have public libraries that are open to any resident in their county. You will need to show proper identification to get a FREE library card; no I.D. is necessary to use materials in the library.  In addition, CR students can borrow books from Humboldt State University's library. (You will need to show a CR Student ID card, which you can obtain from Student Services.)