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Library Guide: New Swarthmore Students

FAQs for First-year and Transfer students

book icon  How do I find textbooks and readings for my classes?

paper icon I'd like to read an article, but it's behind a paywall. (For example, an article from The Economist or The New York Times). Does Swarthmore subscribe? 

  • Try this first:
    • Go to Tripod. Search for the article.
    • Click the result link.
    • In the Tripod record, look for access links under View Online.
       
  • If that doesn't work, try this:
  • Still no luck?  Request it! 
    • Often, you'll get a PDF by email within a day.
    • Exact turnaround times vary.

 

 


question mark icon I'm starting to work on a paper. How do I find scholarly sources? Where do I start?

  • Get advice and suggestions by talking with a peer Research & Info Associate (RIA) or a librarian: Hours & Contact Info
     
  • Try searching Tripod for keywords related to your topic. You'll see books and articles that you can access immediately or request.
     
  • Take a look at Research Guides. TriCo librarians maintain this website, which provides advice and links for finding academic research that you can cite in papers.
     

car icon I'd like to borrow a book (film, article, etc.), but it's not available from the library. How do I get access to it?

Books, films, music

  • First, double-check Tripod is the book available at Haverford or Bryn Mawr?
    • If so: Sign In, then click the Request link to have delivered to you at Swarthmore.
       
  • If the book isn't available at all from Tripod, use EZBorrow to request the book from a nearby academic library like Temple or Drexel.
    • Usually takes ~5 business days to arrive.
       
  • Not available from EZBorrow? Need a film, music, newspaper, or something else?

Articles (journal, magazine, news)

  • Try searching Tripod for the journal title (e.g., English Historical Review) rather than the article title ("Catalog-Searching Techniques among English Nobility").
     
  • If the journal/newspaper isn't in Tripod, fill out the Article Delivery form online to request a PDF.