Research Advice from a Senior Diplomacy Student

Laura Rogers
Laura Rogers, recent Seton Hall graduate and former student library worker

The library has many resources available that I wish I’d known about as a freshman, especially for Diplomacy students. As someone who has worked at the library for the last four years, I’d recommend that all students familiarize themselves with the library’s website, as most questions regarding the library can be answered there. On the website, you can find comprehensive lists of available books and eBooks, which are separated by subject. Many professors will put their textbooks on permanent reserve at the library. I highly recommend taking advantage of this resource, since I know how expensive some books can be and how they add up. Professors don’t always announce when books are on reserve so it’s important to check the website for yourself, especially because some professors use the same textbooks for different classes.

Another aspect of the library that few students know about is the newspaper subscriptions that are available through the website. I know that many professors encourage students to stay up to date on current events, whether it be through news or journal articles. Many of these are available for free online through the library. So, if you need to access to major newspapers like the New York Times or Wall Street Journal among others, I encourage all students to look at the subscriptions the school already has access to.

All disciplines have research guides, which are a great starting point for finding relevant databases and resources. They’re written by expert liaison librarians for each major, so I highly recommend students find out who their librarian is! I personally met with the Diplomacy subject librarian over the past four years by making a research appointment. I met with her several times to discuss papers I’ve written, including my senior thesis. She was incredibly helpful in providing me with tips to locate the sources I needed.

While the website covers most of the resources you’ll need, our subject librarians and circulation staff are always welcome to help any students navigate the resources the library offers in person or over chat or email.

 

Podcast on American Catholicism Drops

Image of Margaret M. McGuinness, Ph.D. is Professor of Religion at La Salle UniversityWe are happy to announce the latest installment of the University Libraries podcast series entitled: Zet Forward. This podcast entitled: “American Catholicism” features an interview by University Archivist, Alan Delozier, D.Litt. with Dr. Margaret McGuinness and Dr. Tom Rzeznik who collaborated on the edited work: The Cambridge Companion of American Catholicism (Cambridge University, 2021). Margaret M. McGuinness, Ph.D. is Professor of Religion at La Salle University.  Thomas F. Rzeznik, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of History at Seton Hall University and coeditor of the quarterly journal, American Catholic Studies. He is author of Church and Estate: Religion and Wealth in Industrial-Era Philadelphia (2013). This podcast covered a number of topics within the American Catholic experience in both a historical and contemporary context.

You can find this podcast at Podcast @ Seton Hall University. Please check it out along with our other sessions conducted by Professor Chelsea Barrett and Professor Gerry Shea.

Zet Forward is a podcast to celebrate authors and other individuals who are involved with projects for the benefit of Seton Hall University and the wider world.  The series began in February of 2022.