Cubberley Education Library

Submit a question for inclusion in the FAQ.

Where have all the dissertations gone?

Online! Most Stanford dissertations are online from 1989 on. To search for the one you want go to Dissertations & Theses at Stanford. If you are Stanford-affiliated you can download a copy for your use. Most of the paper copies that were shelved in Cubberley have been moved to SAL3 for better preservation conditions. You can request these through Socrates, our online catalog. It takes a day or two to get them back.

How do I find journals and databases on my topic?

We have tried to give a good overview of relevant books, journals, databases, and websites on our Research Topics pages. You can also find resources listed by program and concentration on the SUSE Program pages.

Does the research topic page show me everything Cubberley has on that topic?

The research topic pages show just a small selection of resources in a given subject area. To find everything on a topic, you'll need to search Socrates and databases.

My area of research interest isn't listed on your research topics page. What now?

We would love for you to suggest a new topic.

Socrates is so vast and complex. Whenever I use it, I either get a million results, or none! How can I search Socrates more effectively?

You can always ask us for help. We're here at the reference desk to help you with your research. You can come visit in person, call us on the phone, or send an instant message (IM) to cubbref.

However, we know you're busy, and sometimes need help when we're not around. So we've also created several tutorials, including one on using Socrates and one on using ERIC.

Why isn't everything in Cubberley Library on the Cubberley website?

Cubberley Library has over 170,000 volumes. Socrates does a much better job of tracking and indexing library collections than we could hope to.

What am I actually searching when I use the search function?

You're searching everything within the www.stanford.edu/group/cubberley domain. We've tried to organize things to make the important resources easier to find, and highlight different parts of our collection, such as new items and curriculum.

Is there an advanced search?

We're experimenting with a number of different search modules. You can try a guided search here.

Who are all those paintings of on the walls?

Former Deans of the School of Education, including the first dean Ellwood P. Cubberley for whom the library is named. The woman beside him is his wife, and the woman in North Reading Room is Emma Marwadel, a pioneer in the kindergarten movement who taught early Stanford education students.

What is that Login link on the left for?

It allows you to log in to the www.stanford.edu/group/cubberley domain using your SUNet ID.

Why would I want to log in?

There are several benefits of logging in.

The menus on the left are really long. Is there any way to collapse them?

Why, yes. One of the benefits of logging in is that you can enable a feature to dynamically expand and collapse the menus.

Is there a single comfortable chair in Cubberley?

Unfortunately, not yet. This summer Cubberley will be undergoing a seismic retrofit. Part of the planning for that includes getting more comfortable chairs.

I'm having trouble accessing something on the site. Where do I report problems?

Submit any and all problem reports to the site administrator.

If you are using a screen reader or other assistive technology, please include as much detail as possible about the software and hardware you are using, and what particular portions of the site you are having problems with. We have made a concerted effort to provide maximum accessibility, and will respond promptly to requests.

What is RSS?

You may have seen this icon () at the bottom of some of our new book pages. That icon provides a link for the page's RSS feed. RSS is a way for you to be updated when a web page changes. Software Garden has a good overview of RSS here.