We got a variety of responses ranging from difficulty getting organized and pulling yourself away from Facebook or Pinterest to problems related to putting the results on paper and getting the research findings published.

To help our patrons to address some of these problems we put together a virtual exhibit Tips for Effective and Efficient Library Research. The exhibit features current e-books and print books from the UC Libraries’ collections related to various aspects of library research projects, from finding and evaluating sources to presenting your research results and getting them published. It also includes resources on successful management of your research projects.

While the books on finding sources are targeted primarily to undergraduates, books in other categories might be useful to broader audiences, including graduate and doctoral students and faculty.

We hope to expand this exhibit in the future by adding more online resources in a variety of formats. Please help us by using the Comments link to to share tutotials, books, and websites that helped you to improve your research skills. Let us know what libraries can do to help you to find, evaluate, and use information more effectively.

Recently I came across this stunning quote from James Madison in a fellow librarian’s blog post:

“A popular Government without popular information, or the means of acquiring it, is but a Prologue to a Farce or a Tragedy, or perhaps both. Knowledge will forever govern ignorance, and a people who mean to be their own Governors, must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives.”

On November 6 UC students along with the all voters will be casting their votes in the General Election. Do you have all the information you need to make the important decisions?

Earlier this month we asked the students who visit Langsam library to share the sources of information they use in order to decide how to vote.

Tumblr was the most popular source followed by Facebook and reddit.  The responses featured online news sources, TV and radio channels and talk shows, newspapers and magazine titles ranging from The New Republic to Huffington Post, and a broad range of websites, including RealClearPolitics , League of Women Voters, and predictably Wikipedia.

Thank you for sharing your favorite sources of information. Here are some resources recommended by librarians.

• For the candidates’ statements, campaign speeches, and press releases visit the American Presidency Project  (University of California, Santa Barbara).
• Missed the debates? Read the debate transcripts at the Commission on Presidential Debates site.
• What about the accuracy of the statements and claims made in the debates and speeches? Go to FactCheck.org or The Washington Times: The Fact Checker
• Haven’t seen enough political ads? Are they effective? Visit the USA TODAY’s Political Ad Tracker.
• For the polling data see Campaign 2012 Publications on Politics and Elections at the Pew Research Center.

The following premium library resources require off-campus access.

• Search news databases or browse newspapers  at UC Libraries.
• Get comprehensive data on American government, politics, history, public policy, and current affairs in CQ Electronic Library, especially the CQ Voting and Elections Collection.

Stay informed and make great decisions!