Conant Library – For Faculty & Staff
Conant LibraryCourse/Textbook Reserve
Faculty are welcome to put books, articles and/or other materials on ‘course reserve’ for use by a particular class. To place an item on Reserve please see Carrie Grimshaw, Sarah Strom or a student worker at the Circulation Desk.
Conant Library also maintains a ‘textbook reserve’ collection, consisting of at least one copy of any textbook that sells for $40 or more in the College Bookstore. Textbook titles listed by the Bookstore are used as our guide and are rented or purchased each semester. We also welcome the donation/loan of current copies by instructors.
Research Databases | Find By Name (A to Z) & By Subject
The databases below provide full-text articles, citations and/or abstracts and in some cases extensive company and industry information. (Note: If you find only a citation or abstract for an article check to see if the Library owns a hard copy by searching our online catalog by journal title–be sure we also have the issue/date you want. If we don’t own a copy, please make an interlibrary loan request and we will get it for you.)
Off-campus Users: Databases are accessible from off-campus with your Nichols network username/password. If unsure of what your username is, click here.
Instruction Support
The goals of the Library in supporting the academic achievement of both students and faculty are:
- to prepare students to make effective life-long use of information resources;
- to support faculty in providing students with the skills needed to succeed in completing their coursework and research;
- to facilitate the campus community’s productivity through continuous awareness of information resources and their use.
- to support faculty in their own academic pursuits, including providing access to research materials via library-owned databases and external sources via interlibrary loan.
- In support of these goals, and recognizing the diverse nature of the Nichols learning community and the range of learning styles, attitudes, and educational levels, the Library offers a range of instructional services to individuals and groups.
For more information on the topics below or any instruction or research-related subject, please reach out to Carrie, 508-213-2234 [carrie.grimshaw@nichols.edu].
Course-Specific Instruction
Working in conjunction with class instructors, librarians design demonstrations, discussion sessions, or workshops to acquaint students with uses of information resources needed for specific course work and research. These sessions may focus on:
- the use of WorldCat Discovery;
- selected bibliographic, statistical, and other information sources in print or electronic format;
- research methodologies appropriate for various fields of inquiry;
- best practices for using the World Wide Web for research, and critical evaluation of sources.
Handouts and/or bibliographies are normally prepared for each class. Classes may be held in the library or in a classroom. If possible, arrangements should be made for a classroom swap into a computer lab or request students bring laptops to class if the session is to be held in class.
Scheduling is on a first come, first served basis. As these sessions often require intensive preparation, a minimum two weeks advance notice is requested. Guidelines to help ensure successful sessions are available.
To schedule a class session please contact Carrie, 508-213-2234 [carrie.grimshaw@nichols.edu].
Assignment Support
We are eager to help students accomplish their assignments as efficiently and thoroughly as possible. The Director would be happy to work in collaboration with faculty in designing assignments that require use of the Library and its resources. For suggestions on designing effective library-related assignments, please see the Library’s guide: Designing Effective Library Research Assignments. We would also be happy to offer some suggestions for alternatives to the research paper.
It would be most helpful if library staff receives a week’s advance notice in cases of assignments that are likely to result in large number of students working on similar projects. In this way, we will be able to better ensure equal access to the best sources of the required information.
Individualized Instruction & Research Consultation
Librarians are happy to assist students and faculty at any stage of a research project. In addition to basic assistance at the Circulation Desk, individual research consultations are available, upon request. Consultations may range from basic orientation and introduction to the research process to the use of advanced research resources and techniques needed for a senior capstone project.
Linking to E-Resources
The library offers a wide array of resources and services, including access to full-text articles and e-books and guides to course-relevant resources. It can be advantageous to provide links to these resources directly from your online syllabus, Canvas, or other Course-related web pages.
Research Guides- LibGuides
LibGuides, or library resources guides, are now up and linked to your courses on Canvas. LibGuides make it easier for students to access resources available to them. LibGuides are a standard among most academic libraries and we are excited that Conant Library and our students have them now to use to ensure student success. You can find a complete list of all the LibGuides so far here https://nichols.libguides.com/
Open Educational Resources (OER) : Sources and FAQs
These pages have been created with the purpose of making the finding of quality OER resources a bit easier. The number of OER resources is constantly expanding, as are the tools available to locate them. We encourage you to return frequently to see what’s new, and to contact, Carrie Grimshaw, with any additional resources you think would be beneficial to others as they explore the possibilities of designing their courses utilizing OER.
Interlibrary Loan
The Library’s Interlibrary Loan service allows for the borrowing of books, articles, DVDs, etc. from other academic or public libraries.
Film Streaming for Courses
Swank
The Library can obtain year-long licenses for streaming access to many feature films for course-related use. If interested, please contact Carrie Grimshaw [carrie.grimshaw@nichols.edu | X2234]. Normal set-up time is usually one week but longer lead times are encouraged to ensure access will be available when needed.
There are many films available to stream through Kanopy, a service provided by the Boston Public Library. If you don’t already have one, you will need to obtain a BPL ecard. Once you have your card, look under “Books & More” and click on “Stream & Download.” Scroll down to find and click on “Kanopy,” then click on “Add Library Card” and follow the instructions to sign up.
Library Space Reservation (Group Study Rooms, etc.)
Group study rooms are available on a first-come-first-served basis.
Suggest a Purchase
We would like to hear from you if you have any suggestions for the collection.
How do I...?
Ensure my students are familiar with the Library's resources and services?
For general or class assignment-specific instruction contact Carrie Grimshaw, X2234. More information is also available in the Instruction Support section above.
Put materials on Reserve?
Please contact Carrie Grimshaw, Library Director, X2234.
Request a movie to be available online 24/7 for my students?
Contact Carrie Grimshaw, Library Director, X2234.
Embed a link to a database article in Canvas?
Coming soon.
Find Case Studies?
Below are some sources for finding business and sport management-related cases for class use. Caution: some case studies simply describe an historical or contemporary event or business; others offer a scenario in which a student is placed in the role of a decision-maker & asked to make recommendations appropriate to the context of the situation:
The Case Journal (CJ)
CJ is the official journal of The CASE Association and the leading, online, double-blind, peer-reviewed journal featuring factual teaching cases and case exercises spanning the full spectrum of business and management disciplines. See Table of Contents, vol. 1 – 12, #2. (2016) at: https://www.emerald.com/insight/publication/issn/1544-9106 . The Library is currently exploring subscription options for this journal.
Business Case Journal (2015 – present).
Full text available through the Library database Business Source Elite. To see Table of Contents using Business Source Elite click on Publications tab and search for Business Case Journal.
Journal of Business Case Studies
These articles can be handed out, posted to canvas, linked to or course packed without copyright fees. Teaching Notes are available for only a few cases and are not password protected. Available from 2005-Present.
MIT LearningEdge Case Studies
MIT Sloan Teaching Innovation Resources (MSTIR) is a collection of teaching materials, including case studies, industry notes, and management simulations, that MIT Sloan provides as a free teaching resource open and available to the world. Similar to the course syllabi and materials found on MIT’s OpenCourseWare site, these materials carry a creative commons license allowing them to be downloaded, copied, and distributed.
Case Studies in Sport Management (2015-present) Full-text available through our Library database SportDiscus w/ Full Text. To find them quickly, click on the ‘Publications’ link at the top, in the Browsing search box enter case studies. You can then click on each issue by year.
See also:
Lewis, Michael S. and Robin Frkal. “Case exercises in an introduction to management course: a structured approach to increase student engagement.” The Case Journal. 15. 1. August 2019.
https://digitalcommons.assumption.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1007&context=business-faculty
Regarding Harvard Business School Case Studies
Conant Library does not have full-text access to the Harvard Business School (HBS) case studies. HBS sells cases directly to individual faculty and students from the Harvard Business Review website, but does not make them available to Libraries. Please note, HBS offers up to 50% education & student discounts. Faculty can activate academic discounts for their students by registering as Premium Educators at hbsp.harvard.edu.
Link from Google Scholar to Conant Library database articles?
To link to Conant Library article access (when available):
- Go to scholar.google.com
- Click on the three horizontal lines at the top left and click the gear icon for settings
- Click on the Library Links link
- Search for Nichols College and click search (You should see Nichols College appear below)
- Place a check mark in the box and click the SAVE button on bottom right.
Note: If signed into Google, it will remember this setting.
Access Boston Public Library databases?
If you study, work, or live in Massachusetts you can obtain a free Boston Public Library ecard at https://bpl.org/ecard
Then, from the top menu click on ‘Books & More’, then under Learning and Research click on Online Resources.
Note: When you first sign up or renew you may experience difficulties if using a computer/device out of state. Once you have your e-card, you should have no difficulty with access from anywhere.
