Instant access to an epic range of information

What is EPIC?
EPIC stands for Electronic Purchasing in Collaboration. It is a collection of high quality electronic publications, including New Zealand and international full-text
journals and magazines, photographs and graphics.

Otorohanga District Library is one of more than 170 New Zealand libraries delivering this service, which you can use, at home or in the library, as an Otorohanga or Kawhia library member.

How do I use EPIC?

Go to our library website: www.otodc.govt.nz/Community/library.htm
Click on the Epic button, which will take you to Otorohanga District Library’s EPIC website.
Click on the resource you want to use.
Type in your library card number and you’re away!

What are E-resources?
E-resources are databases that contain thousands of full text articles that were traditionally only available in print. They include a wide range of topics and formats - from magazine and newspaper articles, to biographies, health and business information.

EPIC E-resources provide easy access to a rich array of information that you will not find for free on the internet, as most would otherwise require a paid subscription.

Why should I use EPIC?
The EPIC resources were chosen because of their ease of use, usefulness and the quality of the content. In most cases they have been evaluated by editors, and selected from respected publications and established journals.

To find the best information you should use a variety of sources, including EPIC, online search engines such as www.google.co.nz, and books at your library.

Searching EPIC
Before you start your search, you need to think about your topic carefully and choose some search terms.
These might include:

Keywords and phrases;
Subject terms;
Names of people, organisations, companies etc.;
Dates of information, if they are important; and
Countries or areas, if they are relevant.

Getting more help
Each of the databases on EPIC has its own specific search features.
Click on the database’s HELP button for search tips.

Refining your search
Putting the following words between your keywords will refine the search:
AND    Narrows the search. The article must contain both terms. E.g. Edmund Hillary AND Everest
OR    Broadens the search. The article must contain
either, or both terms. E.g. Tainui OR Maniapoto
NOT    Narrows the search by excluding a particular term. E.g. pavlova NOT ballet

You can also refine your search by enclosing a whole phrase in speech marks, so it will only pick up the words in sequence, rather than any occurrence of each word.
E.g. “If it weren’t for your gumboots”

If you are still picking up too much information, try using the ADVANCED SEARCH option, if it is available for the database you are using.

Retrieving articles
When selecting articles you wish to save, you may MARK the articles for printing, downloading to a disk, or emailing to yourself. To do this follow the instructions on the database’s HELP menu.

News, Magazines and Journals
Australia/New Zealand Reference Centre - EBSCO:
Abstracts and articles from international, Australian, and New Zealand magazines and newspapers.

InfoTrac OneFile - Gale: An ideal general research tool with huge topic coverage from contemporary art to science.

MasterFILE Premier - EBSCO: Full text access to articles from over 2000 major international publications.

Arts, Music and Literature
Grove Art: An authoritative dictionary, covering visual arts from
painting, to graphic arts, to architecture and more!
Grove Music: Explore this full-text dictionary on all
aspects of music – from classical, to hip-hop and the blues.
Literature Resource Center – Gale: Critical essays and biographical information on over 100,000 authors.
What do I read next? - Gale: Identify new books to read.

Business Information
Business Reference Suite – Thomson Gale: Three databases -
Business and Industry; Business and Management Practices; and Table Base with global information on business and management.

Science, Health & Wellness
Health and Wellness Resource Centre and Alternative Health
module - Gale: Covers topics including mainstream and alternative medicines, nutrition, diet, fitness, and disease.
Science Journals (Proquest): Access the full text of over 400 leading science and technology journals.

Homework Help
Discovering Collection - Gale: Search a range of subjects including history, literature, geography, and biographies. Includes a multimedia gallery containing images, and sound and video clips.
Student Resource Center - College Edition Expanded- Gale: Cross-curricular information suitable for senior secondary school students.
Virtual Reference Suite: A collection of encyclopædias, almanacs and reference sources. Subjects include health, history, maths and occult.

Who, What, Where, When?
Biography Resource Centre - Gale: Contemporary and historical biographies of notable people.
Contemporary Women's Issues - Gale: Articles and reports on women's issues, both professional and popular.
History Resource Centre - World - Gale: Features full text articles from history journals on 20th century topics.
Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center - Gale: Useful database for exploring popular social issues and contentious topics.

Get answers with Dictionaries and Encyclopaedia
Encyclopaedia Britannica Online: Including Britannica's Student
Encyclopædia, Elementary Encyclopædia for younger students, and the Britannica Concise Encyclopædia.
Oxford English Dictionary: A searchable online version of the OED.