First Year Students: Using the library

You can get help from the library in many different ways. 

•  Walk right in the building! We're the place to be on campus. You'll find study space, computers, printers, technology you can checkout, and more.
• Chat with us! Look for the chat icon on the homepage of the library website. 
• Email us at library@briarcliff.edu. 
• Make an appointment to meet with a librarian, one on one.
• Call us at (712) 279-5449 

What do you want to research? What about your topic interests you? A concept map can help you answer those questions.

Even if you have an assigned topic, a concept map can help you explore different elements of that topic. Concept maps can also help you brainstorm keywords to use in library databases.

You can draw out your map or use a free online software like Mindmup.    

Now that you've brainstormed your topic, it's time to start searching.

Doing research may be completely new to you. That's okay! Here's a video we created just for you. It describes how to use a three-step process to begin your research.

If you get overwhelmed by a research project, remember this three-step approach: