StyleCat   Online Catalog lists all books, magazines, and non-print material the FIT library owns. You can search using keywords and/or by author, title, subject, or more, alone or in combination. Use online Help or ask a Reference Librarian for help with your search if you are not finding what you need. StyleCat is available on computers in the Library and remotely through the Library web page.

Books usually provide a good overview of a topic, but may not be as current as other research sources. Also, books tend to be more general in their coverage and you may need to consult other sources for more detail.

For titles covering a specific industry, search StyleCat using the industry or field in which you are interested, followed by the phrase “vocational guidance.”

For example:

     art and vocational guidance
     fashion and vocational guidance
     public relations and vocational guidance
     retail trade and vocational guidance

Also consult the Library’s Careers Bibliography (available online & in print) for an extensive list of books, most of them kept in the Career Collection shelves in the Reference Department.

Periodical Indexes help you find articles from magazines and newspapers on a variety of topics. Some of the online services provide full text articles (but often without any photos or graphics) but some do not. See the Digital Library, available through the Library web page, for online databases arranged by subject.

When researching many topics, periodical articles provide the most up-to-date and detailed information available. Articles may also cover topics with a narrower focus than the most books, and can be especially useful for researching subjects that aren’t otherwise well represented in the FIT Library’s collections.

Start your research for articles with a subject specific database or one of the following general databases:
General OneFile or Gale Cross Searchable Databases
MasterFile Premier, Academic Search Premier, or EBSCO Multiple Database Search
Hoover’s Online, Business & Company Resource Center, Mintel, WWD

Besides searching for books, articles and websites on various careers, look for biographies on individuals in your field, directories listing companies by type and location (many apparel/textile directories are located behind the Reference Desk, 4th floor), directories of stores, market research reports on industries of interest, video interviews with figures in the fashion field, also classified ads online and in magazines/newspapers kept on the 6th floor.
 

Internet resources may be appropriate for your research. The Library’s “Internet Guides” mostly cover business topics (e.g. apparel industry, textile industry, federal government resources). Use Information Bulletin #12, “Searching and Evaluating Internet Resources” for some tips on how to find reliable information online.

Consult the Library’s Careers Internet Guide (available online & in print) for more suggestions.