Learn How to Use Library Resources with LIB 197

Let’s face it, using the library can be intimidating sometimes. Here at CMU Libraries, we attempt to be as welcoming as possible to patrons and as helpful as possible when answering their research questions. Still, with 1.3 million books, 370 databases, over 100,000 journals, and 125,000 streaming videos, it can be hard to know where to begin! Luckily, LIB 197 is here to help.  

LIB 197 is a 1-credit course offered online, in-person, and starting in Fall 2025, in a hybrid format. This 8-week course teaches students how to develop a research topic and find different types of resources pertinent to that topic. Students start by learning how to construct a research question- a hallmark of university level research. In the following weeks, they learn how to find and evaluate different resources including websites, journal articles, books/eBooks, and primary sources, among others. 

LIB 197 is a great course because it teaches the basics of college-level research while keeping the workload light. It’s also easy to fit in with your other classes. Unlike some courses, which strongly recommend that one NOT take assignments from other courses and integrate them into the workflow of that course, instructors of LIB 197 actively encourage students to take the topics of assignments from other courses and use them as the basis for students’ research in LIB 197. This saves time and helps you do better, more useful research for those classes!  

There is still plenty of time to register for the Summer 2025 and Fall 2025 sections of LIB 197. If you have any further questions about this course, feel free to reach out to Instruction and Outreach Librarian Lee Parker at parke6l@cmich.edu.