Database Access
TCNJ Alumni are not able to access our subscription databases and journals after graduation. Access to library databases is governed by our licenses/contracts with the database providers, which limit access to current TCNJ staff, students, and faculty. The Gitenstein Library has several public computer terminals in the library building from which these resources can be accessed by alumni and visitors. There are many options for online research resources that are open to all and/or provided by the NJ State Library and local public libraries. We highlight many of these resources below.
Research Resources for Post-Graduation Presentation
Ask a Librarian
All of our librarians assist patrons, including alumni and the general public, through our Ask a Librarian service. You can text, chat, call, or visit with the librarian on duty so you can get assistance at the moment you need it. Go to library.tcnj.edu/ask to learn more or to connect.
- Ask a LibrarianReal time help from a TCNJ librarian via chat, text, email, etc.
TCNJ Alumni Card
TCNJ alumni are entitled to continue borrowing books from Gitenstein Library. A TCNJ Alumni Card is required. Get your alumni card here.
Better Google Searching
Tip for searching sites through Google: You can limit your google search to a specific website, such as a trusted news source. Adding "site:[domain]" in the Google search bar will limit your search to a particular website. So, if you add site:washingtonpost.com to your search, Google will only search for items from the Washington Post website. Similarly, site:npr.org will restrict the search to the website of National Public Radio (npr).
Research, Scholarly, and Professional Sources Online
- TCNJ LibraryYou can search through the search box on the main library page and then filter your results to Open Access
- JSTOR Free ReadsFree, registered personal account that enables you to access up to 6 articles per month through JSTOR
- Library of Congress E-Resources CatalogExtensive collection of databases in all subject areas, many of which are freely accessible.
- ERICOnline library of education research and information made available by the US Department of Education. Some full text is available. Searches can be limited to peer-reviewed sources.
- PubMedIndexes biomedical literature. Links to some full-text sources are available.
- Merck Manuals (Consumer Version)Free version intended for a general audience
- MedlinePlusA service of the National Library of Medicine, MedlinePlus provides free high-quality medical information designed for the general public, without advertising or corporate sponsorship (unlike WebMD). It contains information about drugs and supplements, medical tests, genetic testing, and other health topics. The entire contents of the site can be viewed in Spanish by clicking the "Español" button on the right side of the toolbar.
- Centers for Disease Control and PreventionResearch information on health, disease, and epidemiology.
- NCBI BookshelfFree online access to books and documents in life science and healthcare
- PLOS (Public Library of Science)Large peer-reviewed, open-access journals in the sciences, including PLOS One.
- arXivScholarly materials in physics, mathematics, computer science, quantitative biology, quantitative finance, and statistics
- DimensionsA powerful tool for science research that links publications with contextual information, like data and funding sources. Use the left-hand menu to limit your search to open access materials.
- SocArXivOpen archive of the social sciences that includes working papers, preprints, and published papers
- Social Science Research Network (SSRN)Open-access repository of articles in the social sciences.
- American Verse Project [ -1920]"This collection contains full-text electronic archive of selected volumes of American poetry prior to 1920. Most of the archive is made up of 19th century poetry, although a few 18th century and early 20th century texts are included" (University of Michigan Humanities Text Initiative).
- AskPhilosophers.org"There is a paradox surrounding philosophy that AskPhilosophers seeks to address. On the one hand, everyone confronts philosophical issues throughout his or her life. But on the other, very few have the opportunity to learn about philosophy, a subject that is usually taught only at the college level. AskPhilosophers aims to bridge this gap by putting the skills and knowledge of trained philosophers at the service of the general public."
- Chronicling America [1836-1963]Search or browse historical American newspaper pages published between 1836-1963 on this invaluable Library of Congress website. This open access database is outstanding both for its primary source newspaper content and the sophistication of its search interface. The Advanced search allows users to search for articles by state or region, newspaper title(s), page number, and language. Proximity searches are supported. Also includes an historical newspaper directory, 1690-present.
- The Complete Works of William ShakespeareFull-text access to Shakespeare's plays and poetry with links to other online resources from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
- A Digital Anthology of Early Modern English Drama"Welcome to the bustling scene of the other plays from Shakespeare’s time, when London audiences thronged to the new public theaters. Complementing the Folger’s unsurpassed resources on Shakespeare’s works, we introduce you here to hundreds of surviving plays by other authors and dozens of full play texts" (Folger Shakespeare Library).
- Digital Public Library of America (DPLA)Compilation of digital collections from American public libraries.
- Library of Congress Digital CollectionsAccess digitized manuscripts; newspapers; photos, prints, and drawings; audio recordings; film/video, etc.
- Metropolitan Museum of Art (Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History)- Authoritative website about the entire history of art.
- Includes images with descriptive information, essays, maps.
- Search by artist's last name or style/period of your work. - Perseus Digital LibraryDigital collection of ancient texts and translations from Tufts University.
- Wright American Fiction [1851-1875]Digitized collection of nearly 3,000 works of early American fiction published between 1851-1875 from the Indiana University Digital Library Program.
- The [University of] Oxford Text Archive"The Oxford Text Archive develops, collects, catalogues and preserves electronic literary and linguistic resources for use in Higher Education, in research, teaching and learning" (Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford).
- Country Commercial Guides, from the International Trade Administration, US Department of CommerceComprehensive country reports on business opportunities, market conditions, and political and economic environments.
- Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED)Extensive time-series economic statistics from Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
- globalEDGE -- sponsored by Michigan State University (MSU)In-depth country-level information resource covering economics, trade, government, culture and other related topics.
- International Financial Statistics (IFS)Country-level economic statistics from the International Monetary Fund.
- Market DataFrom WSJ.com, includes equity and index fund information, with links to some non-subscriber content from the Wall Street Journal.
- National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)Includes working papers in Economics, Finance, Labor Studies, and related disciplines.
- Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)Includes in-depth country information, as well as reports and research in areas such as sustainable development, finance and the economy, trade and investment, and other related topics.
- Social Science Research Network (SSRN)Open-access repository of articles in the social sciences -- including Economics, Finance, Accounting, and Management.
- World Bank: Research and PublicationsComprehensive reports on countries and regions covering a broad range of topics, including labor, poverty, development, investment, migration and sustainability.
- Census Topics A-ZBrowse the Census Bureau's Topics list to see what data they use to talk about particular issues.
- CDC Data & StatisticsFrom the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. federal government agency whose mission is to protect public health by preventing and controlling disease, injury, and disability
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)Data related to education in the U.S.
- Data.govMain data and statistics portal for the US government
- Bureau of Justice StatisticsContains a number of reports regarding the justice system in the United States, including information about prisons, gangs, etc.
Get It For Me (Holds, Doc Delivery, and ILL)
How to request a hold
Document Delivery
Interlibrary Loan (ILL)
Printing for Guests and Alumni
- Printing Instructions for GuestsInstructions for guests (this would include alumni) can be found on the right hand side of the page
Collecting and Organizing Your Research
RefWorks automatically spits out academic citations in the perfect format while you’re writing a paper. It also stores the literature and references you find in a searchable, sortable external brain.
RefWorks is a tool that’s helpful for students and faculty alike, and for writing everything from a blog entry to an entire book.
RefWorks is a web-based citation software and bibliographic management tool that can be used from any location with Internet access. RefWorks allows you to create your own personal database and import, organize, manage, share and format references quickly and easily. It allows you to search the full text of any PDFs that you add, and its new organizational folder system makes it simple to go back and find the source of your most important literature findings.
RefWorks is available free of charge to TCNJ students, faculty, staff, and alumni. Access it here.