This page is designed to provide information about resources and the research process for students and faculty at the University of West Georgia in the area of music. If you have suggestions or questions, please contact Shelley Rogers, the music liaison: shelley@westga.edu.
For a good explanation about the difference between primary and secondary sources, see Princeton's webpage.
These are the major library resources available to help you in your music research efforts. Always start at the library's homepage (http://www.westga.edu/library/) to get to these resources. There is a search box right there (Discover All) that will allow you to search hundreds of databases with one search. For results that are more tailored to your needs, explore other resources from the homepage, like the Catalog, and Databases & GALILEO.
Ingram Library's online catalog is where you go to search for material held within the library: books, scores, recordings, videos, etc. You can also search for journal/periodical titles, but not for specific journal articles (go to Databases & GALILEO for those). From the Library's homepage, under Our Resources, click on Catalog. You can also get to the catalog from the Library's homepage by clicking on the Books button; enter a search strategy in the box and go.
Databases are huge collections of data, each indexing hundreds or thousands of journals, and all the articles within those journals. Many databases are discipline-specific; others have general content, like Academic Search Complete. From the library’s homepage, under Our Resources, click on Databases & GALILEO, then Music to get to a list of databases that are great for music research and links to them. Choose a database and start searching for your research topic.
If you already have a bibliographic citation for an article in a journal, use this link above to help you locate the e-Journal. Or, from the Library's homepage, click the Journals button and enter a search for the title you want.
From the library’s homepage, under Our Resources, click on Research Guides to find direction to various helps, such as how to create a bibliography in the style you need for your paper (Citation Guide).
Ask a question and get reference assistance from one of Ingram Library's librarians through the chat service. If it’s after normal reference hours, a librarian from another institution will help you. From the library's homepage, click on Start Live Chat.
The Resource Sharing (formerly known as Interlibrary Loan) office of the library borrows (for eligible users) research materials that are not owned by Ingram Library. The service is restricted to currently enrolled UWG students, faculty (both active and emeritus), and staff. From the Library's homepage, under Our Services, click on Borrowing to get started.
ARCHE Libraries Cooperative Program provides for borrowing from the collections of other ARCHE libraries (e.g., Emory University) by the faculty, staff, and students of member institutions for the purpose of supplementing the resources of their own library. See the librarian at the reference desk to get an ARCHE card application. For more information, from the Library's homepage, under Our Services, click on Borrowing.