IT and the Historian: Week 3, constructing your own bibliography using on-line catalogues

The first thing you should do is to save this lesson as a Bookmark. Then you can always go back to it easily.


CONTENTS

THIS WEEK'S LESSON


How to build up a computerized bibliography

This merely involves searching library catalogues via their own on-line cataglogues, and copying and pasting the references you want into Microsoft Word or a text editor like Wordpad. So all you need to do is to jump from the library cataglogue to your word processor or text editor and back again. All it takes is practice. Follow this procedure, stick your hand up if you get stuck.

  1. Fortunately most library catalogues have now got World Wide Web addresses and can be accessed from those addresses directly. Begin by accessing the Robinson University Library Web Catalogue from here. Follow the instructions on screen. But do not attempt (today) to get 'marked' references emailed back to you. This method is much simpler, and quicker!
  2. Think of a subject or person you would like to look up. One relevant to People and their history.
  3. After you have selected a book reference, select it with the mouse and then press CTRL-INS (the Insert button on the RIGHT HAND part of the keyboard, at the bottom). This copies the reference. CTRL-INS works like the command CTRL-C to copy selected text.
  4. You can then jump to the word processing software or the text editor and paste in your selected text with SHIFT-INS. SHIFT-INS works like CTRL-V, the paste command.
  5. Save the text using File Save. Now you should have a reference saved in its own file. Leave the file open.
  6. Then jump back to the library catalogue.. and select, copy and paste another reference into that same file.

You can also browse remote library catalogues and download references from them in exactly the same way.
Today, I want you all to enter the library catalogue of Cambridge University Library.. To do this follow the procedure outlined above.
You can find out the WWW address of virtually any library by using this sensitive map of all Higher Education Instutitions. Cambridge University Library can be found from the Cambridge University Web Site. This site is a vital bibliographical finding aid. Save it as a bookmark.
Another useful bibliographical aid is the Combined Online Catalogue of Academic Libraries, known as COPAC. Click here to enter COPAC.
Your task this week is to build up a computerized bibliography from the Robinson library, Cambridge University Library and COPAC on a subject related to People and their History.
I want a minimum of fifteen entries on any particular subject. Please try and tidy the references up in Microsoft Word. Higher marks will be awarded if you can deliver the references as a word for windows document. This assessment will also be marked. Please hand it in either as printout in Microsoft Word or from the text editor WordPad. Hint: you can copy and paste text from Wordpad into Microsoft Word (or for that matter in any windows application)


Good luck!