Types of Resources

Other Types of Resources

Follow the links below for help locating different types of resources:

Children’s Books

To find children’s books, go to the Library's Advanced Search, limit to “Juvenile” under Special Collections, and perform a keyword search (e.g., singing AND games) or search for a work by title (“Betty Bunny loves chocolate cake”).

Each result will include availability information (see above). Most titles will be located in the Library’s Children's Collection, which is located on the west side of the main floor of MacEwan’s John L. Haar Library. For more information visit the Early Childhood Curriculum Studies Guide.

Dissertations and Theses

Dissertations and theses are lengthy research reports produced at the conclusion of an advanced degree (e.g., an MA or PhD). They are often shared online in institutional repositories for anyone to access.

While not formally peer-reviewed or published, these resources can provide additional context to a topic, important insights into different research methodologies and theoretical approaches, and browsing through the works they cite can be a great way to find relevant resources on a topic.

Find Dissertations and Theses

  • Visit the library’s Find a Database page
    • Beside Find by Type, select “Dissertations and Theses”
    • Review descriptions for each database listed to ensure it meets your needs

Additional Information:

  • Visit MacEwan’s institutional repository, RO@M, to explore undergraduate theses produced by former MacEwan students.

Encyclopedias & Dictionaries

When beginning a research project, start with an encyclopedia or a dictionary. They can help you learn more about your topic, define terminology, come up with keywords to search for in library databases, and find additional sources of information among the works they cite.

Find Encyclopedias & Dictionaries

  • Visit the library’s Find a Database page
  • Beside Find by Type, select “Encyclopedias/Dictionaries/Handbooks”
  • Review descriptions for each database listed to ensure it meets your needs
  • Explore the “Encyclopedias” page on library Subject Guides
  • To explore encyclopedias and dictionaries in the physical collection, use the MacEwan Library Search. Be sure to include the terms encyclopedia or dictionary along with relevant keywords (e.g., gender AND encyclopedia) and then use the options to the left of search results to limit to books in MacEwan’s collection. Most of these titles are located in their own reference section on the west side of the main floor of MacEwan’s John L. Haar Library.

Additional Information:

Images

Whether for review, critique, or inclusion in scholarly and creative pursuits, the library can help you locate images for your work.

Find Images

  • Visit the library’s Find a Database page
    • Beside Find by Type, select “Images”
    • Review descriptions for each database listed to ensure it meets your needs

Find Copyright-Friendly Images

Visit the Library’s Copyright-Friendly Sources Guide to locate images that can be used freely in teaching, research, and creative pursuits without requiring permission from a copyright holder.

Additional Information:

Geospatial Data

Geospatial data is data that is related to a physical location on Earth. Geospatial data can allow you to map your data and see geographic relationships.

Find Geospatial Data

  • Geospatial Data Catalogue - Browse and download GIS data subscribed to by the MacEwan Library. DMTI includes data for all of Canada including street files, address points, postal codes, and more. GEODE includes cadastral files, boundary files and more for Alberta. SSV is satellite street view and includes satellite images of Canada.
  • GeoDiscover Alberta - View and analyze geospatial data from the Government of Alberta
  • GeoGratis - Free maps, data and publications from Natural Resources Canada.
  • GeoSearch (Statistics Canada) - Interactive mapping application for Statistics Canada.

Additional Information:

Government Information

Many governments around the world share information and research online that they have collected and used to govern and make transparent decisions. This information includes things like data and statistics, reports, legal documents, and committee proceedings.

Find Government Information

Use Google to locate freely available government information:

  • Find the website for the government, or government agency, you wish to search.
  • Using its web domain, go to Google and perform a site search
    • Enter site: followed by the web domain and keywords (e.g., site:alberta.ca cannabis legalization, or site:statcan.gc.ca divorce)

Additional Information:

Graphic Novels

Graphic novels are standalone works similar to comic books that tell stories and convey information using images and text.

Find Graphic Novels

To search the Library's graphic novel collection, go to the Library's Advanced Search, limit to “Graphic Novels” under Special Collections, and perform a keyword search.

To browse the Library’s graphic novels collection in person, go to the west side of the main floor of MacEwan’s John L. Haar Library and look for the Graphic Novels sign on the book stacks just past the children’s collection.

Additional Information:

Microfilm/fiche

MacEwan Library has a small collection of microfilm and microfiche, providing archival access to information unavailable in other forms, including backfiles of select periodicals. A ScanPro Reader is available on-site for use by MacEwan students, faculty and staff to access this information.

Access Information on Microform

If you come across something using the main Library Search that is only available on microfilm/fiche:

  • Locate the microfilm/fiche using its call number. Microfilm beginning with the call number XX are located in the cabinets near the periodicals collection on the second floor of the library.
  • Read the microfilm/fiche using the ScanPro Reader also located in this section of the library.
  • Pages can be viewed, scanned and saved to a USB key by following the instructions provided beside the reader.

Music

From CDs to streaming audio to sheet music to vinyl, the library has an extensive music collection.

Find Music

Use the main Library Search to search for music by keyword (e.g., jazz AND contemporary), by artist (e.g., "Dizzy Gillespie"), or by album title (e.g., “Purple Rain”).

Limit to “Audio” or “Music Scores” under Source Type to the left of your search results. Each result will include availability information (visit the Find Resources – Books page for more information).

Note that physical copies of CDs are arranged in their own section on the main floor of John L. Haar Library. Music Scores are found in the “M” section on the second floor of the library.

Explore Streaming Audio Collections

  • Visit the library’s Find a Database page
    • Beside Find by Type, select “Audio”
    • Review descriptions for each database listed to ensure it meets your needs

Additional Information:

Newspapers

The library provides online access to local, national and international newspapers that include current and historic information.

Find Newspapers

Search newspaper databases:

  • Visit the library’s Find a Database page
  • Beside Find by Type, select “News”
  • Review descriptions for each database listed to ensure it meets your needs

Search newspaper subscriptions by keyword:

  • Use the main Library Search to search for news articles using keywords (e.g., COVID-19 AND Alberta AND vaccination)
  • Limit to “News” under Source Type to the left of your search results.

Additional Information:

Primary Historical Resources

Primary historical resources include records or artifacts produced during or shortly after a particular event, experience or time period by those who participated in or witnessed the event.

Examples include speeches, interviews, letters, census records, diaries, newspaper articles, government documents, clothing, photographs, posters, paintings, maps, court records, poems, plays, television and radio broadcasts.

Find Primary Historical Resources

To locate primary source materials in the main Library Search, add words like documents, diaries, letters, personal narratives or correspondence to other relevant search terms e.g., ("cold war" AND letters).

Search Google for Primary Sources

Many libraries and archives have digitized their primary document collections. Use a search engine like Google to find these collections.

Use the term "primary documents" or "primary sources" or “digital exhibition” or “digital collection” with your search terms (e.g., "primary documents" women suffrage Canada).

Explore Primary Historic Resource Databases

  • Visit the library’s Find a Database page
  • Beside Find by Type, select “Primary Historical Databases”
  • Review descriptions for each database listed to ensure it meets your needs

Additional Information:

Videos

The library provides access to an extensive collection of DVDs and online streaming videos.

Search for Videos

Use the MacEwan Library Search to search for videos by keyword (e.g., schools AND bullying), or by title (e.g., “Indian Horse”).

Limit to “Videos” under Source Type to the left of your search results.

Each result will include availability information (visit the Find Resources – Books page for more information).

Explore Streaming Video Collections

  • Visit the library’s Find a Database page
  • Beside Find by Type, select “Videos and Images”
  • Review descriptions for each database listed to ensure it meets your needs

Additional Information:

Zines

MacEwan Library has a growing collection of zines. These self-published, do-it-yourself magazines include original and appropriated materials and focus on a range of topics, from subcultures to social theory to art and design.

Find Zines

To explore the Library's zine collection, search for "zines -- Specimens" in the MacEwan Library Search, or go to the Library's Advanced Search, limit to “Zines” under Special Collections, and perform a keyword search. Each result will include availability information (visit the Types of Resources – Books page for more information).

To browse the Library’s zine collection in person, look for the Zines section by the spiral stairwell on the main floor of the John L. Haar Library (building 6).

Additional Information: