Faculty Guide to Library Resources

Why should I use Discovery?

• A single search box that searches across a variety of library content.
• Provides access to a variety of physical and digital materials - books, online journal articles, print journals and magazines, DVDs, musical scores, newspaper articles, etc.
• Links directly to online content in databases.
• Filter searches by format, peer review, publication date, topic, etc.
• Discovery is a great starting point for research, especially for locating books and other items physically held at Waggoner. It should not be the only tool used in research though! Read on to learn more. 

How do I use Discovery?

• Use the search box on our homepage to do a basic search - keyword, author, title (Salem Witch Trials, Pride and Prejudice, John Green). Hit enter to search (or click on the green magnifying glass).
• Items held by Trevecca displayed first. Book and other physical items will provide availability information, location, and call number. Ebooks, journal articles, and other digital materials will include "access online" buttons. You will need to authenticate with your university account (used for Blackboard, TNU4U, email, etc.) to view. 
• After completing a search, click on the Editions & Formats bar to view various material formats of the same title (print, ebook, reserve copy, etc.).
• Items not held by Trevecca can be requested via Interlibrary Loan. Click on the title to go to the item record, then scroll to the Availability section. Click on the purple icon "Request item through interlibrary loan" and follow the prompts to request. 
• Discovery also has an Advanced Search option. Advanced search allows for more powerful, detailed searching. It allows you to control searching by specifying the desired format, year, peer-review status, and more. While the Advanced Search on Discovery is useful, it is not a substitute for using databases. Read on to learn more. 

What else should I know?

• Discovery does not search everything at Waggoner Library. Many popular databases are included in Discovery such as Academic Search Ultimate, Business Source Ultimate, and JSTOR. A Discovery search will provide results in various electronic formats: articles, ebooks, and streaming videos. All of the Waggoner physical items are included in a Discovery search.
• Discovery is great for preliminary research, but a subject database is better for more in-depth, specific research.
• If you run into difficulties, want some one-on-one assistance, or have questions, please contact a librarian. We would love to help!