Starting Your Research Using library services and resources to kickstart your research project

UK Libraries is the gateway to a vast information ecosystem spanning archives, articles, datasets, e-books, printed materials, and special collections. 

• New to the research process? Check out our Research 101 Library Guide
• Beginning a long-term research project? Our Dissertation Planner may help

Librarians Save You Time

Our librarians and archivists are information experts who can help you:

• Develop research topics and hone research questions
• Select information resources and navigate the research process
• Conduct literature reviews and perform advanced searches
• Share your research and communicate your findings

They also provide advice and materials tailored to your project and offer resources and guidance at any stage of the research process across all subjects. 

Research Guides Pave the Way

Librarian-curated Research Guides will introduce you to our wide-ranging collections and services, guide you through the use of specific tools, and provide an in-depth orientation to subjects, resources, and library processes.

Library collections can serve as a launching point for a wider-ranging project or as the anchor for a deeply-focused study.

Among our extensive holdings you can find:

• Access to millions of articles from thousands of periodicals 
• Countless books and e-books
• The world’s largest collection of Kentucky newspapers
• Older document sets, manuscripts, and archived materials available on microform
• An exhaustive collection of federal government and Kentucky government publications and resources
• Datasets across many disciplines, along with access to open data sources and repositories
• Archival and primary source materials documenting the economic, social, political, and cultural history of Kentucky and the Appalachian Region

Search for materials within UK collections using InfoKat Discovery. If we don’t have what you’re looking for, materials from around the world may be available through Interlibrary Loan (ILL), or you may Request a Purchase.

To browse all of UK Libraries’ collections, visit the Find & Borrow section.