One thing I have discovered (and enjoyed) during my time as a full time English student is the Online Library. I must admit, initially I did find it rather intimidating because it seemed deep and impossible to navigate. So, to overcome this fear, I figured that should try it out and explore it on my own terms.
Using the online library has allowed me to explore and learn for both my literary studies and my own curiosity. The first thing I did was try to hunt around, seeing what I could find regarding some of my favorite authors. An example being how Lovecraft influenced McCarthy in Blood Meridian. It was an awesome read and I came away with a greater understanding of both authors and their respective influences. The absence in my course of the speculative fiction authors Gibson, Le Guin, Moorecock and Tolkien left me with a lingering pang of disappointment, so I decided to learn more about those authors on my own, for the pure pleasure of learning. I have also used it to find books on Buddhist and Pagan religions.
I must admit it was fun and that is the joy of the library! You get access to knowledge that might otherwise be inaccessible. That could be due to anything like finance or location, or even just what to search. One prime example is just knowing what to search for when hunting down the religious influence of Le Guin (a topic which I continue to research).
Wondering how to best search the online library? Check out our video Search Tutorial or visit our Search Guide.
I also learned about the importance of citing peer reviewed studies when using them for exams. You can’t just use anything as the scholarship may not be up to code, or it hasn’t been critically assessed by academics. The library does help with this by sorting and marking books and articles as being reviewed before I click them, so I don’t have to waste time with flawed sources.
Need help with citations and references? Follow our link to our Referencing Guide.
Of course, I do wish more of the further research materials were available via the library, (as I prefer not to be forced into the alternative). It’s one of the prohibitive factors of education that the university, indeed the academic publishing ecosystem could improve. Students are already spending so much, they can’t be expected to fork out thousands for multiple books. The library helps mitigate the cost of academic books for students. I hope this will continue to be expanded upon.
But I am enjoying the ability to just browse, glimpsing past the Shakespeares, Austins and Gawains of the world to examine niche genres. I still haven’t checked out what is said on Steven King or Junji Ito! I wish to learn what feminists think about Tomie or what New Historicistics consider about The Shining. I am curious to see what scholarship (if any) has been done on video games like Bioshock or Thief.
Is it because I might consider that to be an underdeveloped field of study with space to squeeze into? I think so. After all, video games too, are rich with potential for cultural expression and influence. I think we can find interesting influences in Bloodborne or Dark Souls. Who knows what I might find?
As a person I am very curious, rare is the thing I don’t want to try at least once (except perhaps heroin). The university has challenged me and encouraged my curiosity about art. I aim to continue that.
I find that exciting honestly.
Stuart is a full time English student and aspiring author, books and language are his passions and stories are his love. A lover of culture and the arts, he seeks to understand human behavior and societies through the things we create. Some of his favorite genres are fantasy, sci-fi and horror. He hopes to explore the ways such genres express ideas about culture through the power of metaphor.