CONTENTS: Introduction Types Formats Locations Journal Indexes Choosing the Right Index Search Techniques Citing Full-Text Indexes Printer Friendly Version BACK TO: Tutorials home page

Finding Periodical Articles

Formats of Periodical Literature

1. Print: Print journals can be in two places:
   1. Current: In the Middleton Library, the most recent issues of ALL our journals, magazines, and newspapers are kept in the Current Periodicals Room on the first floor until they are no longer current.
   
   
   2. Older: When journals are no longer current, they are bound together into a hard-back volume ("bound periodical") and shelved in the stacks on all the floors of the library depending on what their call numbers are. This means that the bound periodicals will be on the shelf right next to the books in the same subject area.
      
      There is no specific cut-off date that determines which issues are considered "current" and which issues are considered "older." Each individual journal can have a different cut-off date. In general though, "current" periodicals include the most recent year.


2. Microformat: If you've ever used microform before you know it's a bit of a headache to use. There are, however, two reasons why older periodicals are transferred to microformat.
   1. Space: Microformat takes up less space and most libraries don't have any shelf space to spare. For example, we have dozens of newspapers (such as the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal) going all the way back to the 1850's! Can you imagine how much room that would take up if we had them in print format? We'd need a whole other building!
   
   
   2. Preservation: Newspapers turn yellow and brittle when they get old and decompose pretty quickly. They're put onto microform so that they will last a longer.
      
      Most microformat is kept in the basement in the Government Documents Room.


3. E-journals and Full-text Databases: Many journals are now available in electronic format and accessed through the web. The LSU Libraries pay for access to them for LSU students, faculty, and staff. You can connect to them through the library's webpage by choosing "Indexes and Databases."

          

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