Resources for Distance Students

A great place to start your research is with SearchCat, the library's all-in-one search tool that allows you to search the library catalog and most of the library's databases all from one convenient search box.  Besides the link above, SearchCat is accessible from the Library Home Page and from the search box below on this page.

SearchCat works best if you login with your FSU credentials. Then you will have easy access to full text articles and other services. You will be prompted to log in once you start interacting with SearchCat.

On the library's home page, you will see the Search Box for SearchCat.. Under that there are some links that can be used to find/access different library resources.

• OneSearch - Allows users to search for items physically in the library as well as most of the library's databases. It offers options to search by keyword, title, or author. You can also narrow down by full-text and scholarly/peer-reviewed articles.
• A-Z Databases - Provides you with a list of subject specific databases. Click on the link to access these databases.
• Journal Search - Provides you with the ability see what journals the library has available full-text electronically or in print. Once you find a specific journal, it will also provide information on which database it is available in, or if it is in print in the library, and the date ranges for full-text availability.
• Library Account - Access your account to renew books or to see what items you have checked out.

SearchCat provides you with the option to search the library catalog and most of the library's databases at once. The library also provides access to Subject Specific Databases that may help you to narrow your search down.

For example, when searching in SearchCat on a specific topic like education, you will get results that will also cover history, philosophy, and science. In order narrow down your results to just education, you could use the subject specific database Education Research Complete. This database provides access to results that are specific to the subject of Education.

To access Subject Specific Databases you need to go to the A-Z List of Databases. From that list you can select the Dropdown All Subjects and then select the the subject you want to research. Once you select a subject it will provide you with a list of Subject Specific Databases. The link is: http://libguides.frostburg.edu/az.php

For example, I want to find Computer Science databases so I would select the Dropdown for Computer Science.

I then have a list of Computer Science databases. I can select the database I want to search.

You can also select the first letter of the database that you want to access and it will bring up a list of databases that begin with that letter. For example, you could select the letter H to see the databases that fall under that letter.