Hi everybody! I am Jennifer Freer and I am the business librarian here at RIT!
I am here to help you navigate and use the different business resources you have access to while studying at RIT Library.
You probably have a basic idea of what a library is.
But you may not realize all libraries are different. Each library has resources and services customized for their patrons.
So a public library in Rochester might have access to leisure audiobooks
they know their patrons enjoy. Or a specific history section focusing on local Rochester or Monroe County history.
An academic library, like the one here at RIT, is not focused on leisure but instead focused on offering access to resources like books,
articles and information databases that help with projects and class research.
For business we lease access to many e-books, company, market, industry and financial databases,
in addition to articles within magazines and journals
I choose what we have access to based on the questions I am asked and my knowledge of the assignments in business classes.
I am also balancing these needs with a limited budget.
Like all libraries we do not have access to everything.
A good example is the tens of thousands of market research reports published every year.
We do not have access to all market research.
But we do have a great selection of some market research to help you complete class projects and lots of information
to practice the skills you are learning in those classes.
For the immediate future the library building is closed
due to the construction of our new neighbor the Student Hall for Exploration and Development
We will have temporary space in the Ritter hockey arena which will have part of our circulating collection,
study tables and public computers.
I will be available to everyone virtually via email, chat and Zoom.
To make an appointment visit my LibCal site at rit.libcal.com/appointments/business
or go to any business guide and use the Email/Chat/Appointments button on the top right.
In addition to offering you coaching and guidance on which databases to use and how to use them,
I can offer guidance on how to do proper citations.
Avoiding plagiarism is extremely important no matter what level of your studies you are currently embarking on.
Keep in mind that during your research process you need to track and cite any information that came from somewhere else.
And then when writing your paper you need to signal to your reader facts, ideas and concepts
that are not your own original thoughts or findings.
You do this using citations in the text or footnotes depending on the citation style your professor is assigning.
Most professors in Saunders assign MLA or APA with a couple who assign Chicago or Harvard.
Some professors will leave it up to you to pick a style. I advise picking a citation style you are comfortable with.
Many students in my experience will want to turn to automated systems to create in-text citations and reference lists. will want to try and 1:00 AM a bit systems to create index citations and reference lists
That is absolutely allowed but you will want to make sure the automated system is creating the formats correctly.
RIT offers access to Endnote (the web lite version) and NoodleTools.
For free on the web you will also find Zotero and Mendeley and other tools.
Visit library.rit.edu/citations for more info on citation styles and tools.
If using an automated tool be sure to factor in time to learn how to use the tool as they vary in difficulty.
However you choose to create in-text citations and reference lists, be mindful and track where your information is coming from.
Write your reference citations early in case you run into issues,
and be prepared to show your professor how you did your research and created your citations to prove it is your work. to prove division while not
I can help you understand the basic structure of citations, point you to what the manuals say and offer strategies in how to work.
I will not be able to proofread papers or reference lists or teach you how to use automated tools.
Look to Youtube for lots of videos on how to use the many automated citation tools.
Beware that citation style rules are subject to change and sometimes the automated tools are not immediately updated.
The best way to know what the citation style calls for is to refer to the latest edition of the manual.
Both APA and MLA offer guidance of some of the most common formats for free on their websites.
And the library will have print copies of the latest manuals for each.
In doing your research you have access to many resources.
To access library databases off campus you will need your RIT username and password.
You can reach the databases from the library home page at library.rit.edu and use the Database Finder.
Or you can go to the InfoGuides at infoguides.rit.edu
I recommend starting at the subject InfoGuides as the guide provides more context.
InfoGuides lay out which databases are helpful for individual subject areas and some courses.
Why do only some course guides appear?
Course guides are created when a unique assignment occurs within a course and the information on the subject guide is not enough.
The InfoGuides are a great starting point but you can always email me or make an appointment.
I can also be found on chat.
So how do you work with a librarian?
Start by posing a question or describing what you hope to find.
For example, maybe you are in a marketing class.
You see the paper requires an understanding of the current economic situation in the United States.
So you might ask: where can I find resources about the state of the US economy?
I’ll point you to where to find recent news articles on the economy,
maybe a government website like the Federal Reserve to see what they say about the economy,
and maybe a specialized source like NetAdvantage for some analyst overviews.
Where I send you varies depending on what you are after and what we have access to.
And it really does depend on what you want to know
based on your understanding of the assignment.
In conclusion, the library has many resources at your disposable and specialized help to help you find different types of information,
understand what's available and how to cite.
Congratulations on starting at RIT and I look forward to working with you.