English: Library Resources
Gathering Background Information
I won't lie -- librarians use Wikipedia. Wikipedia CAN be a great place to find background information and a solid vocabulary. Many articles have valuable bibliographic links to outside sources. That said, it is unwise to use Wikipedia as a scholarly resource. Information found on Wikipedia can be changed at any time, by anyone, without editorial control.
Our library offers access to Britannica Academic, an online encyclopedia that can help you gather background information and be used as a scholarly resource.
- Britannica Academic
The rich combination of the Encyclopædia Britannica plus Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, magazines and periodicals, and many other research tools provides the variety of reliable sources that students need to consult when conducting thorough collegiate research.
Current Issues & Topics
If you are researching a controversial topic or current issue for a position paper, the following databases can help:
- CQ Researcher This link opens in a new window
Provides analysis of issues in the news, including health, social trends, criminal justice, international affairs, education, the environment, technology and the economy.
- Opposing Viewpoints (Gale) This link opens in a new window
Contextual information and opinions on hundreds of today's hottest social issues. It features continuously updated viewpoint articles, topic overviews, full-text magazines, academic journals, news articles, primary source documents, statistics, images, videos, audio files and links to vetted websites.
- Points of View Reference Center (EBSCO) This link opens in a new window
Points of View Reference Center is a full text database designed to provide students and schools with a series of controversial essays that present multiple sides of a current issue. Essays provide questions and materials for further thought and study and are accompanied by thousands of supporting articles from the world’s top political and societal publications.
Recommended Resources
- Books and Authors
Gale Books and Authors is a reader's go-to site for everything: book suggestions and reader's advisory from experts, titles, biographies and more.
- JSTOR This link opens in a new window
JSTOR provides access to more than 12 million journal articles, books, images, and primary sources in 75 disciplines.
- Literary Reference Center (EBSCO) This link opens in a new window
Full-text database provides a broad spectrum of information on thousands of authors and their works across literary disciplines and timeframes
- Literature Resource Center (Gale) This link opens in a new window
Up-to-date biographical information, overviews, full-text literary criticism and reviews on more than 130,000 writers in all disciplines, from all time periods and from around the world.
- LitFinder (Gale) This link opens in a new windowCovers all time periods and contains a wealth of primary literature content.
eBooks
- eBooks Academic Collection This link opens in a new windowThis growing package contains a large selection of multidisciplinary eBook titles representing a broad range of academic subject matter. Select eBooks from the top menu bar to search this collection.
Ask A Librarian
We a can help you learn how to use the library's online resources to get started with your research, locate books, or answer other general questions. Contact a librarian by
email: library@corning-cc.edu
phone: 607-962-9251
or schedule an appointment.
Library Hours
Writing Help - Learning Center
The Learning Center provides tutoring to student writers in all courses and at any stage of the writing process. Individualized help is available by appointment, drop-in, or e-mail. Writing help is conveniently located in the Library/Learning Center on the Spencer Hill campus, and Room U111 at the Elmira Center.
