Books are a great place to start for your pre-search. You can find books on broad topics, and edited books with chapters on very specific topics. Books are also useful for practical things like learning about teaching pedagogy, finding lesson plans for specific levels and subjects, learning about assessment, & more.
To search for books in the main search box on the ODU Libraries' homepage., type the name of the title and click enter. When the results come up, limit your "Resource Type" to Books.
Reference resources are a great place for you to begin your research, find background information, general summaries of topics, definitions, historical timelines and more. The links below provide access to just a few of the reference sources available in your area.
An easy way to find more reference materials is to
1. Start at the search box on the library homepage,
2. Type in your topic, AND the type of resource that you want.
For example: Dance AND Encyclopedia
This one-minute video will show you how to find juvenile books owned by the ODU Libraries. If you are a distance student, you can request these through Interlibrary Loan to be delivered.