Nicole Tassinari
I have a rep in my house. Actually, I have two reps in my house. The first is that the bath towels need to be folded in a specific way, or I may become slightly unhinged when someone deviates from my autocratic folding rule. The second is that I can find stuff. We are going to focus on the latter as I don't think there is enough time or interest in unpacking the psychological roots and implications of the former.
I'm really good at finding things. Car keys. Wallets. Cat toys inexplicably dropped into bathtubs. It's a gift that, unlike the bath towel improvement strategy, is truly appreciated by my family. Looking back, I think I was predisposed to become a librarian. There are all kinds of librarians that do all types of work. But at the core of all of us is the desire and ability to find information. I am proud to say that the UOPX library staff shares this quality. In short, I've found my people.
The internet has changed the game for librarians. Face-to-face reference services during established business hours are giving way to on-demand research assistance. We live in a time whose motto might be "I want it now, and I want to get it myself." This applies to information. We know that most people want the easiest path to finding information without having to track down someone to ask. To support this need, we have updated three more on-demand learning tools (guides to help you find stuff).
Mergent Toolkits. We recently added five databases from Mergent to our toolkits page. Mergent provides financial data, company and industry reports, and comparison analysis tools. These databases are powerful tools for doing company and industry research, but at times can be overwhelming. Toolkits pull together videos and help guides that are unique to each database. In addition, we have added some useful but buried "treasures" and special tips to make searching the Mergent databases easier.
Get Started with Company Research. This How Do I guide provides you with a jumping-off point for company research. Sometimes, the hardest part of the research process is knowing where to start. In addition to breaking down the types of available company information, we've added a list of things to consider before you begin researching a company. Forewarned is forearmed. Understanding how the specific characteristics of a company can impact the type and amount of information available can save you frustration later in the research process.
Find a Specific Article or Book. We've streamlined this guide to provide the most effective ways to locate an article or book in the library. Not only do we break down the steps, but we also have a new video that will walk you through them and give insider search tips.
As good as these guides are (and they are good), we are always here to answer your questions via the Ask Us! service. That's what we do. We find things. And some of us fold a mean towel.
