Metropolitan Community College Libraries

What is information literacy? Information literacy is a set of skills you apply to help you answer a question, solve a problem, or complete a research project. You apply them in your personal life, your professional life, or at school.

The Association of College & Research Libraries has defined the following information literacy competency standards:

Knowing how to determine the extent of the information you need Knowing where to find answers Knowing how to tell if sources are credible/reliable Knowing how to use information to accomplish a purpose Knowing how to use information legally & ethically

Go to MCCs library homepage: http://www.mccneb.edu/library/

The resources available in the library are indicated here

Type your search terms

Select a

Select a keyword category

campus library

Click on title to view full record

Sort results

Call Number

Request Item

Enter search terms

Click the title of the book for the summary & citation Click on eBook Full Text to open it

Title menu

Subject menu

Database Descriptions

Type your search terms

Select a search category

Limit to Full text

Limit to Journals

Result List Title link

Full text links

Alternate search terms

Citation information

Print, E-mail, or Save to external disk

Subject terms

Abstract

Search tabs

Subject or Keyword Search

Database Features

Search by Subject Heading or Keyword

Enter Search term(s)

Select one or more Subject Heading to search

Search Results

Article Display Page

Why do you need to cite your sources?

1. To allow others to locate your sources. 2. To give credit to the author or owner of the work.

APA (American Psychological Association) Style MLA (Modern Language Association) Style

If you do not cite your sources you are guilty of plagiarism. According to The New Oxford American Dictionary plagiarism is defined as:
The practice of taking someone elses work or ideas and passing them off as ones own.

Metropolitan Community Colleges Procedures Memorandum on Student Conduct and Discipline says plagiarism is representing anothers ideas as ones own in connection with a matter upon which the student or anothers performance is being or will be evaluated.
http://www.mccneb.edu/procedures/ V-4_Student_Conduct_and_Discipline.pdf

Written words, spoken words, movies, songs, pictures and inventions are forms of intellectual property and they are protected by federal copyright law.

Copyright is a form of protection grounded in the U.S. Constitution and granted by law for original works of authorship fixed in a tangible medium of expression.

Source: Library of Congress, Copyright in General. September 2006, U.S. Copyright Office, May 31, 2007, http://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/faq-general.html

Copyright, a form of intellectual property law, protects original works of authorship including literary, dramatic, musical and artistic works, such as poetry, novels, movies, songs and computer software.
Source: Library of Congress, Copyright in General. September 2006, U.S. Copyright Office, May 31, 2007, http://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/faq-general.html

The fair use exemption of the copyright law allows certain uses without permission from the author or copyright holder. For example, depending on the circumstances copying may be considered fair for educational purposes.

According to the copyright law (17 USC 107) the following 4 factors should be considered when determining fair use:
1. 2. 3. 4. The purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes; The nature of the copyrighted work; The amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole; and The effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.