Biological Sciences Scholars

Our spaces:

• About the different libraries at OSU and what each has to offer (cafes, quiet spaces, reservation based study rooms, etc.)
• How study rooms work.
• About the best way to find study rooms. I commute and sometimes a have a zoom meeting I need to join but I never know where to go. The only place I've heard recommended are the library study rooms but they don't open until 6 days before, and are all reserved during peak times within an hour.

Our resources:

• How the library system works at OSU.
• What resources are available in the libraries. 
• How to use the libraries resources for students' advantage.
• About good ways to find reliable sources earlier on. 
• How to look at the library catalog online and find the academic scholars websites such as Gale. 
• How to search for sources on the online databases.
• I would have liked to have known how to look for information in the library by subject, so that I could find books in the certain topics I needed.
• How to check out books at the library and how to find books related to specific questions/topics quickly.

Advice from previous years:

• I wish I had known that 18th wasn't open 24 hours on the weekends, and how many options I have for libraries. I discovered a lot more than just Thompson. Go to other libraries, not just Thompson or 18th Avenue/the importance of making use of different library locations (click here to check locations and hours)
• I wish I knew what resources were available sooner. (your subject guide can get you started!)
• The film resources offered! (stream movies for free from several different services)
• Logging into the OSU library page before going onto google scholar will help you find sources from OSU easier. (and it prevents you from getting scammed by fake journal articles!)
• There are a lot of free articles on OSU Libraries website (literally hundreds of thousands of articles that are NOT free elsewhere)
• The library information workshops are super helpful when it comes to searching for books and navigating the libraries (Yes!! Especially the First Year Success Series (https://guides.osu.edu/fyss)
• about the library link in Carmen (Pro-tip: your subject librarian can custom create a guide just for your class, and link it to your Carmen site. Just ask your instructor to reach out to the librarian!)
• The difference between the different library search tools (discover, research database, books and more, etc.) and when to use each (this can be complicated! Starting with a subject guide can help)
• that libraries are not as difficult and scary to navigate as they seem
• which floors aren’t generally packed and are good locations to study at
• the school of architecture: they have a ton of computers there and you can be pretty isolated

Top services at OSU Libraries: 

Article Express: library.osu.edu/ill/article-express

Checking out or renting an item: https://library.osu.edu/borrowing/checkout

Inter-library loan: https://library.osu.edu/ill/borrowing

Library locations and hours: https://library.osu.edu/locations

Printing: https://library.osu.edu/printer-copier-services

Subject guides: http://guides.osu.edu

Request a purchase: https://library.osu.edu/suggest-additions-to-the-collection

Reserve a group study room: https://library.osu.edu/group-study-rooms-for-ohio-state-students-faculty-and-staff

­­­A+ Research Coaching offers help for students with writing and research assignments. Can’t find the information you need? Want to discuss with a fellow student how to organize and use what you’ve found? We can help you refine your thesis or research question, find and use sources, and much more.  A+ Research Coaching provides one-on-one consultations to get you the help you need.  You can schedule an appointment through OnCourse by visiting our website at go.osu.edu/aplus.