Tutorials

The following tutorials are offered to help you and your students hone your research skills and make using the library easier and more efficient. Librarians are available for in-depth support with research questions, finding materials, or using library tools … just Ask Us!

Instructors are welcome to embed these materials into courses. If you are interested in having a module on a topic you don’t see below or that is tailored to your class, please use the form on this page to reach out and make a suggestion.

Canvas-Only Materials

These are pages and modules that are already packaged for Canvas. They are housed in the Canvas Commons and can be imported into your class directly from there. For instructions on how to do so, visit our guide on Embedding Library Resources In your Canvas Course.

Welcome to the Van Pelt and Opie Library: a single page you can add to a course with a brief overview of library resources and services. Includes a search bar for the catalog.
Understanding & Avoiding Plagiarism: a module with definitions, strategies for avoiding plagiarism, and links to citation resources.
3D Printing at the Van Pelt & Opie Library: a module with videos that cover available 3D print tools, how to schedule a print or orientation, using NX for design, and using Cura for printing.
Web of Science Overview: a module walking students through how to access and navigate Web of Science. Also briefly covers cited reference searches, saved alerts, and accessing full-text.

Standalone Tutorials

The following are standalone, interactive tutorials. Use them in the way that best suits your need—view right here, share the link with someone, or embed the link into Canvas!

Finding Sources at the Library This tutorial will walk you through how to perform a basic keyword search, use several available narrowing options to improve your search, access full-text and print resources, and place an interlibrary loan request.
Using Interlibrary Loan This tutorial provides an in-depth walkthrough on how to use the library's ILL and MeL services in order to borrow materials from other libraries.
Finding Standards at the Library This tutorial defines standards, explores their usage, and demonstrates how to find or request them via the library.
SciFinder: Finding the First Synthesis This tutorial leads you through searching SciFinder and finding the first synthesis of a particular compound. Designed for the Organic Chemistry class.
Searching Organic Syntheses This tutorial provides an overview of searching the Organic Syntheses Database. Designed for the Organic Chemistry class.
ChemDraw: Learn the basics of using ChemDraw software. Designed for the Organic Chemistry class.
ChemDraw Part 1: Basic Structures
ChemDraw Part 2: Advanced Structures
ChemDraw Part 3: Characterization
ChemDraw Part 4: Nomenclature

Legacy Tutorials

These are being phased out for a variety of reasons (changing content, out of date tools, lack of accessibility, etc.) In the interest of not breaking links on any syllabus, these will remain here until at least Fall 2024. However, if you are newly adding library materials to your class, use the options above!

Searching Library Databases
Selecting Library Resources
Understanding Citations
Evaluating Resources
Primary and Secondary Sources