Begin in the Joint Library Catalog. Google and other search engines are not your best choice to locate books and videos. They were not designed to lead you to the nearly one million items that are available through the Joint Library Catalog. While the JLC is an internet-based resource, it is part of the "hidden web" that search engines do not reveal.
Start local then go global. Search with the Joint Library Catalog set to "UAA Mat-Su" to find items that are immediately available. Expand your search by changing to "All JLC Libraries" to include everything that is available to you through our catalog. You can place holds on items from other libraries who share the Joint Library Catalog, and those items will usually arrive within a week.
The JLC does not list the collections of the Mat-Su Borough, Palmer, or Wasilla libraries, so use the link to "Mat-Su Library Network" to search their collections.
Finally, check WorldCat to find relevant material in libraries around the world. If you are a currently enrolled student, faculty, or staff member of Mat-Su College, you can make an interlibrary loan request for those items using the link in the gray navigation bar or through the ILL link in WorldCat.
Do you know your subject? Changing the search method from "keywords" to "subject" may not be the best first step for finding information about a topic. Subject headings in the Joint Library Catalog use specific terms for specific subjects. If you use the wrong one, your search may not find anything even though there may be several good books on the topic.
Look at the subject headings that appear in books that are on your topic. Use those to find other relevant material.
Watch your limits. You can set various limits in searches. Searches can be limited by information type (keywords, title, author, subject), location (MSC, UAA libraries, all JCL libraries), or material type (books, videos, ebooks). Once those are set, they do not change until you change them. If your search isn't giving the results you expect, look to see if a limiter is affecting the search.
The "keywords" limit includes "author", "title", and "subject", so it is a good place to start unless you are finding way too much information.
The JLC is initially set to search only MSC's library. That limits your search to the 50,000 items that are here and ignores everything else that is available. Change the "location" limit to "All JLC libraries" to search all of the UAA and Anchorage Public Libraries at once.
Finding too much? Try "Advanced Search". The advanced search options allow you to combine types of searches.
Double check for spelling errors. The Joint Library Catalog has several hundred items by and about "Mark Twain", none of which will be found by searching "Marc Twane".
Know the question. You've been handed a topic for a research paper. Now what? Take some time to really think about it. Look at some general information on the topic. Develop a thesis that gives you something specific to look for.
The question changes. Depending on where you are in the research process, the information you need will change.
Information comes in many forms. Do you need background information, statistics, or an authoritative essay on a topic? Would a book, journal, website, or personal interview provide the best source of that information? Who would produce the information that answers your question? Where would they publish it?
Know the question, but be flexible. Sometimes very specific pieces of information can only be found by searching a broader topic. If you want to know the number of men in the Mat-Su Valley between the ages of 18-24 who are using methamphetamines, you may have to look for a source that contains drug use statistics for Alaska.
Can the question be stated another way? Look for alternate, broader, and narrower terms for the information you need.
Research takes time. Academic research is not the same as surfing the internet. Expect to take some time to locate high quality sources. If you are not finding anything, look at the above tips or ask for help.
It's not all here. Some resources are not locally available and must be ordered. Some items can take a week or so to arrive.
"Someone checked it all out!" You may be one of several people researching the same topic.
There's nothing on the topic. Not a good thing to discover the night before the paper is due.