Michael Schwartz Library
Research Help & Instruction
Whether you're starting your first research paper, halfway through your dissertation, or a professor writing an open textbook for your classes, your librarians at the Michael Schwartz Library are here to help you navigate the enormous array of resources available to you.
Questions? For help with general research questions, use the chat box on this page, stop in at our 1st floor Research Help Desk, or Ask your personal librarian via text, chat, phone, or Zoom.
DIY type? For focused research, start with our Research Guides, curated by your librarians here at Cleveland State. Each one contains targeted information on a particular topic or course to support your research in that area, providing helpful pointers to subscription databases and other resources to help you succeed. Or go directly to our A-Z list of research databases, e-books, and journals, or try searching our FAQ. And for quick look-ups, don't forget to use the Virtual Reference Desk.
PRO TIPS FOR RESEARCH & ACADEMIC WRITING:
- Make an appointment for a one-on-one research consultation with your personal librarian. Librarians are specialists in finding and using information as well as experts in their fields.
- CSU's Writing Center, conveniently located on the first floor of the library, offers free, one-on-one tutorials, workshops, and resources for students, faculty and staff in a friendly environment. Explore their site to discover a huge selection of online resources and tips, then reach out for personalized help.
- Use Zotero or Mendeley to help you organize your research and format your bibliography and footnotes!
Find Books, Video, Audio
- OneSearch - Find books, articles, and more in the CSU Libraries, OhioLINK, or worldwide in one single search.
- Scholar - The online catalog for both the Michael Schwartz Library and the Law Library of Cleveland State University. Scholar allows users to locate materials that the university physically owns or owns access to.
- OhioLINK - Find and borrow books, video and audio materials from 85 Ohio colleges & universities.
Public Libraries:
- Cleveland Public Library Catalog - Holdings of the Cleveland Public Library, one of the nation's major urban library systems, and the 27 CLEVNET public library consortium member libraries.
- Cuyahoga County Public Library Catalog - Holdings contained in four large regional and 24 branch libraries.
- SearchOhio - Holdings from 19 Ohio public libraries including Cuyahoga County Public Library, Akron-Summit County Public Library, and Mentor Public Library to name a few.
Tip: Use Interlibrary Loan Services to get books you need that are not in the Michael Schwartz Library or in OhioLINK
Find E-books
| Collection Name | Formats | Software Requirements | Restrictions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alex Catalogue of Electronic Texts: Iincludes Project Gutenberg and Internet Archives, etc. | HTML | None | None (open access) |
| APA Books E-Collections | None | Off-campus access requires CSU ID and password. | |
| Bookshelf (NCBI): Free access to books and documents in life science and healthcare. | HTML, PDF | None | None (open access) |
| Cleveland Memory e-Book collection | Varies by title | None | Some ebooks hosted by ProQuest Ebook Central have printing limitations or cannot be downloaded. |
| Cleveland State University Ebook Repository | Selected titles available in PDF or HTML format | None | Some ebooks hosted by ProQuest Ebook Central have printing limitations or cannot be downloaded. |
| Directory of Open Access Books (DOAB): The primary aim of DOAB is to increase discoverability of Open Access books. Can browse or search for titles. | None | None (open access) | |
| Dissertations & Theses @ Cleveland State University: CSU full text doctoral dissertations in PDF format, 1997-present; hosted by ProQuest. | None | Off-campus access requires CSU ID and password. | |
| Ebook Central (Proquest): Fomerly eBrary. | PDF, ePub, others | Requires Adobe Digital Editions for download to laptop or desktop or Bluefire reader for iOS or Android devices, which is free from the App Store and Google Play. Help |
Off-campus access requires CSU ID and password. Some ebooks cannot be downloaded; some cannot be checked out by multiple users; some have PDF generation or printing limitations of one chapter or 60 pages. |
| EBSCO eBook Collection: Formerly netLibrary. | PDF, EPUB | Requires EBSCOhost account and Adobe Digital Editions to checkout, download, and transfer ebooks to mobile devices. eBooks can be downloaded to mobile devices and read with the free Bluefire Reader or app. Find out how. EBSCO Help |
Off-campus access requires CSU ID and password. Some ebooks cannot be checked out, downloaded, or printed. |
| EServer Books Collection: Fiction, nonfiction and poetry. | HTML, PDF | None | None (open access) |
| FreeBooks4Doctors: Over 300 free medical books and book-like websites. Free subscription to the book alerts. | HTML, PDF | None | |
| Getty Publications Virtual Library: Free digital backlist titles from the Getty Publications Archives. | HTML, PDF | None | Free for personal use - see terms of use. |
| Google Books | PDF, EPUB | Google account required to download ebooks. Google Play Books app required to download to mobile devices. Google Books Help |
Most copyright-protected ebooks only have limited previews available and require fees to buy and download. |
| GovInfo (formerly FDSys, GPO Access): Provides free public access to full-text, official Federal information, Federal information finding aids, and Federal products for sale. | HTML, PDF | None | None (open access) |
| The Great Books and Classics of Western Civilization: The seminal works of literature that have influenced Western culture. | HTML, some titles available in PDF or EPUB | None | None (open access) |
| Greenleaf Online Library: More than 3500 individually searchable chapters, case studies and journal papers drawn from 240+ book and journal volumes. Covers topics including sustainability, social responsibility, corporate governance, development economics and the environment. | None | Off-campus access requires CSU ID and password. Book viewing and printing limited to one chapter at a time. |
|
| Gutenberg-E: eBooks from the American Historical Association and Columbia University Press. | HTML, PDF | None | None (open-access) |
| HathiTrust Digital Library: As a digital repository for the nation's great research libraries, the library brings together the massive digitized collections of partner institutions. The initial focus has been on preserving and providing access to digitized book and journal content from the partner library collections. | PNG, PDF | None | Viewing and printing restricted to one page at a time (CSU is not currently a HathiTrust partner). |
| InTech Open Access Books: Subjects covered include physical sciences, engineering and technology; life sciences, health sciences; and social sciences and humanities. | HTML, PDF | None | None (open-access) |
| The Internet Archive: Text Archive | Varies by title | Some materials require an OpenLibrary account to checkout, and Adobe Digital Editions, OverDrive, or a Daisy-enabled device to download and read. Internet Archive Help |
All public domain ebooks are open access, but many copyrighted ebooks in OpenLibrary have viewing and printing restrictions through Adobe Digital Editions or OverDrive. |
| JSTOR: Now includes eBooks. | HTML Viewer, PDF | Requires JSTOR account, Adobe Reader, and FileOpen plugin for Adobe Reader to download books. JSTOR Help |
Off-campus access requires CSU ID and password. Downloading and printing restricted to one chapter at a time. |
| MIT Press Direct: Access the complete collection of more than 3,000 eBooks from MIT Press. Subject areas covered include art and architecture, biomedical sciences, business and finance, computer science, cognitive science, design, education, environment, game studies, humanities, information science, linguistics, neuroscience, new media, philosophy, and social sciences. | HTML | none | Off-campus access requires CSU ID and password. |
| National Academies Press: More than 4,000 National Academies Press PDFs available to download for free. The National Academies include the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, Institute of Medicine, and National Research Council. | PNG, PDF | E-mail address or NAP account required to download or print more than one page at a time. | Books can be freely read with NAP viewer, but downloads and printing require logging in with NAP account or submitting e-mail address as guest user. |
| NBER Working Papers: Researchers from the National Bureau of Economic Research initially report their findings in working papers. | HTML, PDF | None | Off-campus access requires CSU ID and password. |
| NCBI Bookshelf : Free access to books and documents in life science and healthcare. | HTML, PDF | None | None (open access) |
| OAPEN (Open Access Publishing in European Networks): Contains freely accessible academic books, mainly in the area of humanities and social sciences. | May require user to accept cookies. | None (open access) | |
| Ohio Digital Bookshelf: Online textbooks; part of OhioLINK Digital Resource Commons. | None | None (open access) | |
| OhioLINK Electronic Book Center: Thousands of scholarly and reference e-books in the humanities, sciences and social sciences. | HTML, PDF | None | Off-campus access requires CSU ID and password. Can only download/print one chapter at a time. |
| OhioLINK ETD Center: Full text theses & dissertations from Ohio universities; CSU Dec. 2007-present. | None | None (open access) | |
| The Online Books Page: A directory of books that can be freely read on the Internet. | Varies by title | None | Directory points users to other collections whose requirements vary. |
| Open Edition Books: Includes books in the humanities and social sciences, more than half of which are available in Open Access. Additional services are available through subscribing libraries and institutions. The majority of books and website are in French. | HTML, PDF, ePub | None | None listed on site |
| Open Textbook Library: A growing catalog of free, peer-reviewed, and openly-licensed textbooks. | HTML, PDF | None | None |
| OpenStax CNX: A "Content Commons" of free, open-licensed educational materials in fields such as music, electrical engineering and psychology. | PDF, ePub, and others | None | None |
| O'Reilly (formerly Safari Books Online): Electronic books and videos on computer science, information technology, business, and related fields. | HTML | Select 'not listed?', then enter your CSU email address to access the site. If you still get an error message, clear your browser's cookies. | |
| Pressbooks@MSL: Open Textbooks and other works at the Michael Schwartz Library | HTML | None | None |
| Project Gutenberg: Broad range of older books and collections. | Varies by title | None | None (open access) |
| Proquest Ebook Central: Fomerly eBrary. | PDF, ePub, others | Requires Adobe Digital Editions for download to laptop or desktop or Bluefire reader for iOS or Android devices, which is free from the App Store and Google Play. Help |
Off-campus access requires CSU ID and password. Some ebooks cannot be downloaded; some cannot be checked out by multiple users; some have PDF generation or printing limitations of one chapter or 60 pages. |
| Safari Books Online (now O'Reilly): Electronic books and videos on computer science, information technology, business, and related fields. | HTML | Select 'not listed?', then enter your CSU email address to access the site. If you still get an error message, clear your browser's cookies. | |
| Springerlink: Full text access in HTML and PDF formats to the the electronic versions of books published by Springer. Content is the following subject areas: Architecture and Design; Behavioral Science; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Business and Economics; Chemistry and Materials Science; Computer Science; Earth and Environmental Science; Engineering; Humanities, Social Sciences and Law; Mathematics and Statistics; Medicine; Physics and Astronomy; and, Professional Computing & Web Design | PDF, HTML | Springer account required to access some titles. | Off-campus access requires CSU ID and password. Some titles require a Springer account and/or additional fees to access. |
| Textbooks: This semester's list of required textbooks available as eBooks through the Michael Schwartz Library's electronic course reserves. | PDF, HTML | None | Off-campus access requires CSU ID and password. |
| Very Short Introductions: Concise introductions to a diverse range of subject areas. It offers a bridge between reference content and higher academic work. All titles provide intelligent and serious introductions to a huge range of subjects, written by experts in the field who combine facts, analysis, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make challenging topics highly readable. | HTML | None | Off-campus access requires CSU ID and password. Can only print download/print one chapter at a time. |
| Wiley Online Library: A multidisciplinary collection of online resources (books and journals) covering life, health and physical sciences, social science, and the humanities from publisher John Wiley & Sons. | PDF, HTML | None | Off-campus access requires CSU ID and password. |
| Working paper series (National Bureau of Economic Research): NBER researchers initially report their findings in working papers. | HTML, PDF | None | Off-campus access requires CSU ID and password. |
QUICKTIP 1: Use the Scholar catalog to find eBooks by doing an "Advanced Search. " Type in your search terms, then choose "EBOOK" from the "Material type" drop-down menu.
QUICKTIP 2: Find more answers to your eBook questions at the eBooks @ CSU Research Guide.
Find Journals, Journal Articles
- OneSearch - Find books, articles, and more in the CSU Libraries, OhioLINK, or worldwide in one single search.
- Research Databases - The Michael Schwartz Library provides you with access to a wide array of electronic indexes and abstracting services, commonly referred to as "research databases." These databases will either link to the full text of the article or a short description of it.
- Electronic Journal Center (OhioLINK) - includes the full text of more than 4,300 online research journals covering many subject areas.
- Journals at CSU - find out which journals, periodicals, magazines, newspapers, & newsletters the Library has in its print or online collections.
- JSTOR - The Scholarly Journal Archives - provides electronic access to the full text of the backfiles of selected academic journals. More about JSTOR.
- Google Scholar - enables you to search specifically for scholarly literature, including peer-reviewed papers, theses, books, preprints, abstracts and technical reports from all broad areas of research. Not all text may be freely accessible.
Tip: Use Interlibrary Loan Services to get books you need that are not in the Michael Schwartz Library or in OhioLINK.
Get Help & Instruction
- Ask Your Personal Librarian
- Chat reference service: on this page!
- Copyright research guide
- Finding Books, Audio, Video, Etc.
- Finding Articles & Journals
- Finding ERIC Documents in the Michael Schwartz Library
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Glossary of Library Terms
- Off-Campus & Rmote Access - Connecting to Research Databases from off-campus
- Research Guide: Library Tutorials
- Virtual Reference - Online reference resources organized by subject
- Writing & Citing