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Student Learning Outcomes
After completing this guide, students will be able to:
- Describe the benefits of using OneSearch for research
- Build effective search strings
- Identify possible sources in OneSearch
- Use OneSearch to locate and access materials
OneSearch Overview by Taft College Library is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (Links to an external site.) unless otherwise specified. This guide is adapted from Los Rios Community College Librarians Canvas module.
What is OneSearch?
OneSearch is the library's catalog--a database of all the books, videos, articles, and CDs available for students to use. Let’s take a closer look at OneSearch and see how and why you will want to use it.
OneSearch is the Google of the library. It’s a single search box that helps you find almost any kind of source you might need for a college assignment, or even if you’re just curious about a topic. It is different than Google though - in that it gives you access to premium content that's more likely to be useful for college-level research. Many of your results will include sources that aren’t freely available on the open web and many sources have been selected by professional librarians because of their quality. In OneSearch you’ll find books, academic journal articles, documentary films, newspaper and magazine articles, and more. These resources are available to you for free as a student at Taft College
OneSearch Demonstration
Below is a brief introduction to using OneSearch
Source Types
Here are some of the sources you'll see in your search results in OneSearch:
Books 
Books are great for research because they can give you in-depth coverage on a topic, including background, history, and analysis. Don’t shy away from books because you think you don’t have enough time to read the entire thing. Just like other sources, you can pull out the most relevant parts. Skim over the Table of Contents or Index of a book you find on library shelves. If it’s an eBook, you can do a keyword search to find every page that might be relevant to you.
Available at means the book is in print and available for check out in the library. Write the location and call number down and head to the appropriate location, for example, Taft College Library Stacks (E 628 .C68 2017) is the location and call number.
Available Online means the book is available on any device that has an internet connection. Click on the Available Online link to read the book. Be sure to sign into your MyTC account to view the book.
Peer-Reviewed Articles 
Your instructors put a lot of value on peer-reviewed, scholarly articles because these sources speak their language; they are written and reviewed by academics and scholars for other scholars (including community college students!). Depending on where you find them, peer-reviewed articles may also be called scholarly articles, scholarly journals, or academic journals; they are often quite technical and may focus on a very specific research question. Click on the Available Online link to view the article.
Articles 
In OneSearch, magazine articles are identified as an Article. Magazine articles are usually only a few pages long and are written for a general audience. Reading one of these articles on your topic can be a great way to quickly get a better understanding of the background and relevant issues. You can find interviews, opinions, stories and tips related to your topic. Click on the Available Online to view the article.
Newspaper Articles 
The News icon is attached to newspaper articles and transcripts of news broadcasts. Sources from news organizations can help you understand a topic, gather first-person accounts, or see how an event was covered in different communities, countries, and/or over a period of time. Click on the Available Online to view the article.
Videos 
Videos in OneSearch include DVDs available for checkout at your library (see the Call Number) and streaming videos that are Available Online.
