!BENVENUTI!

1. RAM Card – ticket to success

2. Research: using the catalog, databases and websites for your research

Catalog Searching: Books and more

– Circulating books and reference books: find them in C/W Mars, our catalog

– Keywords or subject search• Italy• Italian language• Proverbs

– You can also search for the print version of the Italian Language magazine “Ciao Italia” in the catalog. (Discussed again in section on “Journals”)

Using the catalog

• Select “Library Catalog” from the Library Homepage

• Do a search for a book on one of the following terms: Italy, Italian language or Proverbs

• Select the book that interests you the most and write down its title, author, call number and shelving location

Journals

• Journals give you access to articles written by “professionals” or “academics” in a particular field.

• Access journal listings by selecting “Journal titles A-Z– Select drop down menu for subject category• Select “Languages & Literatures”– Select “Romance Literatures”» Select “Italian Literature”

Journals

• We also have an Italian language magazine for students of Italian

• Do a keyword search in the catalog for “Italian Language”

• Limit your search format to “serials”

• Write down the title of the journal and its location

Database Searching

• There are a wide variety of databases that you can use to find information about Italy, Italian language, heritage and culture

– CIA handbook – Films on demand– Gale virtual reference– Global Edge database for information about Italian

businesses– Global issues in context – Mango languages– Sharpe online reference (electronic version of World

Food Encyclopedia)

Using a Database

• Select one of the databases listed in the previous slide and search for information on Italy, Italian language, Italian Heritage or Italian Culture.

• Find an article that interests you and email it to yourself.

Websites for Research

• You can find a lot of information on the Web. Not all of it is good, reliable information.

• Good, reliable websites about Italy include• http://www.italia.it/en/home.html • http://www.italianculture.net/

• Do you know who the sponsors of these websites are? Read about them at “About Italia.it” and notice the name on the homepage of italianculture.net

Italy in the News

• Italian national TV, RAI, has created a website for Italian language and culture, available in English and Spanish. You can access it at http://www.italica.rai.it/index.php?hl=eng

• You can read (in English) about what is happening in Italy daily on : http://www.reuters.com/places/italy

• If you are interested in reading Italian newspapers, this website provides a comprehensive list with live links to the country’s many newspapers: http://www.ciao-italy.com/categories/newspapers.htm

Italian Cultural Center of Western Massachusetts

• Located in Springfield!

• Visit their website to learn more about what they do and their social activities http://www.iccwm.org/

• The Center also has a library with books about Italy and Italian language. See their website for opening hours.

Proverbs

• What is a proverb? – Dictionary definition– Definition provided in a book about proverbs

• Selecting a proverb– Use one of the books in the reference collection – Check the catalog for books on proverbs that can be

borrowed– Search online

• http://web.tiscali.it/proverbiitaliani/ • Visit ipl2 (http://www.ipl.org/) and type in the

search box “proverbs”– http://cogweb.ucla.edu/Discourse/Proverbs/\

Proverbs

• Translating the proverb

– http://italian.about.com/library/proverbio/blproverbioa.htm– http://dianacus.com/proverb.php– http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Italian_proverbs

• Understanding the proverb

– Read “Introduction to the Proverbs of Italy” in Racial Proverbs: A selection of the World’s Proverbs arranged Linguistically (reference book)

– Read “Italian Proverbs: In vino veritas. Truth in words.” at http://italian.about.com/od/vocabulary/a/aa081402a.htm

ARRIVEDERCI !