Cowles Library Drake University

Cowles library subscribes to more than 100 research databases containing a huge number of journal articles, newspaper and magazine articles, e-books, encyclopedias, music, artwork, timelines, and much more. Few of these resources can be accessed through search engines like Google and Yahoo because they are available by subscription only.

Previously, you needed to search them one-by-one in order to find information you want. Now, with fastFind, you can search many of them at the same time from a single search box. The results are presented on a single web page, saving you time and giving you a picture of where to head for more in-depth research.

When should I use fastFind?

• When I am at the beginning of my research
• When I need to find a detail I know exists, but don’t know where exactly
• When I need to do a literature review, to see what is out there
• When I need to scan a lot of material in a short period of time

When should I not use fastFind?

In these cases, you'd probably be better off searching individual databases.

• When I need to do precise searches for specific types of documents
• When I need to use the special search options of a specific database
• When I know only one database contains the information I want

Give fastFind a try now!