English (Prof. Darr)

1. Gale eBooks (GVRL) Homepage

Gale eBooks is a great way to start your research. Gale eBooks is a database that contains E-Books such as encyclopedias and dictionaries. To access the Gale Virtual Reference Library Database go to the LAMC Database page. Once you select the Gale Literature Database you will be taken to the homepage. On the Gale eBooks homepage you will see a display of books to browse. We are going to type in the title of our short story. I have selected Edgar Allan Poe's "The Cask of Amontillado."

• Begin by typing the title of the short story.
• Some short stories may also appear as plays, please note to select the short story and not the play.
• Click on the search button that looks like a magnifying glass on the right hand side.

2. Gale eBooks Results Page

Once you clicked on the search button, you will see the results page. Please note the titles of the Encyclopedias, because the titles will give you a clue if you are on the right track to selecting the appropriate book. 

• The title of the encyclopedia for the first result is Edgar Allan Poe Revisited
• The title of the encyclopedia for the second result is Short Stories for Students
• Since the second encyclopedia is more appropriate for my research, I will be selecting the second result.
• You will need to click on the title of the short story which is highlighted in red below, "The Cask of Amontillado"
• Do not click on the title of the encyclopedia or the image of the book.

3. Selecting the Source

Once you click on the title of the article, the entire article will be appear. The title is organized by major topics in the story such as characters, plot, themes, etc. Reading the Critical Overview and Criticism about the short story may give you insight on your topic. 

• Gale eBooks is meant to gather background information about your short story or poem.
• On the right hand side, the database provide tools for you to use. For example, you can save the document by downloading, printing or emailing it to yourself. There is also a handy citation tool to help you cite your sources. 

Los Angeles Mission College Library Databases

Accessing Databases:

1. Go to the Library Homepage at

http://www.lamission.edu/Library/Home.aspx

2. Click on Library Resources

3. Once you select a database you will need to enter your college ID# and your pin, which is your month and date of birth (for example if you were born on Feb. 22, your pin would be 0222).