Welcome - Criminal Justice - LibGuides @ URI at University of Rhode Island

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Spring Semester 2012

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Introduction

This guide is an introduction to sources of information on Criminal Justice in the United States that are available at URI. It describes types of materials and provides selected items in each category.

To find book information search the HELIN Catalog under such subjects as: Crime, Criminals, Criminology, some further divided to specific crimes (commercial crime; computer hackers, murderers, sex offenders, terrorists, violent offenders, etc.), ethnicity of the criminals (Criminals-Asian; Jewish criminals, etc.), age & gender (Aged offenders; Female offenders, Juvenile delinquents, etc.) and Church work with criminals; Fugitives from justice; Occasional Criminals; Recidivists; Social work with criminals. The Library of Congress Subject Headings will help identify appropriate terms.

There are also related Subject Guides accessible on the Library’s home pages under User Guides. Examples are: Federal Laws; Industry Information; Family Violence.

Where to Start Your Book Search

There are four places to start your search for books. Each has a different specialty and scope.

HELIN Catalog
The HELIN Catalog covers academic libraries across Rhode Island, but does not include Brown. Because the libraries are close by, requests for books only take 2-3 business days for delivery. You can also visit and check out books from most of these libraries.
InRhode Catalog
The InRhode Catalog is the link between the HELIN Catalog and Brown University's JOSIAH Catalog. You can see what Brown has and request books from their libraries using this Catalog. Requests take 2-3 business days.
WorldCat
This is a catalog of books and other materials in libraries worldwide. You can request materials using URI's Interlibrary Loan service. Book requests outside of Rhode Island can take up to a month for delivery, so please plan accordingly.
Google Books
Offers a somewhat random search of books scattered across the country. Some full text searching of books, and some full text viewing of out-of-copyright materials. You may be able to request books viewed via Interlibrary Loan.

Where are the journals?

Journals start their lives in the Current Periodicals section on the lower level of the library (at the base of the stairs). That is where you will find journals that have been published recently, usually less than a year old.

After about a year, the journals are sent out to be bound into something resembling large books. When they return, the bound journals are sent to an area called The Serial Stacks. Here they will live out the rest of their lives. Please visit them!

More and more journals are available through the library in electronic format. To find the call number for a specific journal or to gain access to an electronic journal, search the HELIN catalog for the title, specifying * Journals * Newspapers *

To find articles by a topic, use a reference database that allows keyword searching. Start with one of these links:

Where are the books?

Books with call numbers A through P are located on the third floor.

Books with call numbers Q through Z are located on the second floor.

Except...

The HELIN catalog will tell you if a book is in Reference (location = URI Reference, status = Lib Use Only). The Reference Collection is on the first floor.

There are also books located in the Curriculum Materials Library (location = URI CML). The CML is on the first floor, near Reference.

Some books are located in the Special Collections Library (location = URI RI Collection or URI Archives). The Special Collections Library is on the second floor.