The purpose of this pathfinder is to help you find the resources you need for your research. If you need in-depth research assistance, please contact:
Beth Hill, liaison librarian to the College of Engineering bethhill@uidaho.edu 208-885-2503
Or, complete and submit the on-line research assistance program form.
Book Collection
The "online public access catalog" (OPAC) provides a listing of all books owned by the University of Idaho Library. You can search the OPAC from stations in the library, or from a remote location, such as a campus computer lab or your home computer via the U of I Library homepage at http://www.lib.uidaho.edu/. To access the U of I Library’s OPAC select "Library Catalog."
Beyond using keywords to search for a topic, you can use related terms in a subject search to find a useful subject heading. A few of the subjects relating to Mechanical Engineering include:
| Heat transfer |
Materials |
Acoustics |
| Control Systems |
Robotics |
Nanotechnology |
| Power transmission |
Production engineering |
Manufacturing process |
| Thermodynamics |
Fluid mechanics |
Hydraulics |
| Tribology |
Dynamics and Vibrations |
Welding |
Many general books on mechanical engineering are located in the TJ section of the Main Stacks located on the third floor of the library. You may want to browse these books to become more familiar with your topic. Books on specific aspects of mechanical engineering are located with information on that subject. For example, the use of graphics in mechanical engineering is located in the T353 section of the collection.
Here are some call number areas you may find useful:
- T11 Technical writing
- T351-377 Mechanical drawing
- TJ223 Programmable controllers
- TJ181-210 Mechanical movements
- TJ795 Diesel motor
These books, from the "main stacks," may be checked out of the library with your Vandal card. Look here for information on borrowing and renewing books and other materials.
E-Book Collection
Some reference books on Engineering are available from our NetLibrary Collection, an online book service. To access the library’s eBook catalog select "E-Books" at the bottom of the library's homepage. You can search for books by title or keyword, or even search the contents of the eBooks for specific information. Since you can access NetLibrary from any internet-enabled computer, this is an excellent resource for finding reference materials whenever you need them. Once you have selected an eBook to read, click on the "View this e-Book" link to open the book.
Here are some eBooks you may find useful for Mechanical Engineering:
- American Society of Mechanical Engineers. Landmarks in Mechanical Engineering. West Lafayette, IN: Purdue UP, 1997.
- Ganíc, Ejup N., Tyler Gregory Hicks, and Michael Predko. McGraw-Hill's Engineering Companion. NY: McGraw-Hill, 2003.
- Smiles, Samuel. Industrial Biography: Iron Workers and Tool Makers. Champaign, IL: Project Gutenberg. Produced from a reprint of the 1863 1st edition.
McGraw-Hill Digital Engineering Library
Digital Engineering Library features content from 150+ McGraw-Hill publications, including classics such as Marks' Standard Handbook for Mechanical Engineers (10th ed.), Perry's Chemical Engineers Handbook (7th ed.), Standard Handbook for Electrical Engineers (14th ed.), Roark's Formulas for Stress and Strain (7th ed.), and many more.
Reference Collection
The Reference Collection contains dictionaries, encyclopedias and specialized books related to many different subject areas. They offer excellent overviews on topics, and are often a good place to begin your research. A technical reference book will have basic descriptive information. Reference books on Mechanical Engineering are found in the TJ section of the Reference Collection located on the first floor of the Library. These books are for use in the Library only.
Listed here are just a few of the books that might be useful for you:
| Ref TJ 151.S82 |
Avallone, Eugene A. and Theodore Baumeister III, eds. Mark’s Standard Handbook for Mechanical Engineers. 10th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1996. |
Ref TJ 1165.M56 2002 |
Chapman, Woodrow W., Modern Machine Shop’s Handbook for the Metalworking Industries. Cinncinati, OH: Gardner, 2002.
|
Ref TJ151.M3
|
Oberg, Erik, ed. Machinery’s Handbook. New York: Industrial Press, 2000.
|
|
Ref TJ 230.S8235 2004
|
Shigley, Joseph E, Charles R. Mischke, and Thomas H. Brown, eds. Standard Handbook of Machine Design. 3rd ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2004.
|
| Ref TJ 151.M396 2001 |
Mechanical Engineer's Handbook. San Diego, CA.: Academic Press, 2001. |
| Ref TJ151.M395 2006
|
Mechanical Engineer's Handbook. Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley & Sons, 2005.
In 4 volumes:
Materials and Mechanical Design
Instrumentation, Systems, Controls and MEMS
Manufacturing and Management
Energy and Power
|
Journal Databases
Most searches for journal articles traditionally start out with subject or keyword searches in electronic databases or in paper indexes. Currently, most of our indexes are in electronic form. The library subscribes to a number of index databases. These databases hold the majority of the periodical literature for mechanical engineering, which are either full-text, or are just the citations and abstracts. To access full text and index databases select "Find Articles" on the library's homepage, then either select from a listing of U of I Library’s online "Databases by Title," (if you know the title of the database you wish to search) or use the "Databases by Subject" drop-down box to find "Engineering/Technology." Here are some databases related to your subject area that you will see listed there:
- ASME International / American Institute of Physics
- ASCE Civil Engineering Database
- ASTI- Applied Science and Technology Index
- Cambridge Materials Research Database
- Compendex Engineering Index
- IEEE Xplore
- INSPEC
- Institute of Physics Archives
- Kluwer Online (Springer-Verlag LINK)
- Elsevier ScienceDirect
- Wiley Interscience Journals
- Web of Science
When attempting to access a database or an article, a dialog box may appear requesting the following:
Username = Your 14-digit Vandal card number (which needs to initially be registered through the library circulation desk, in person or by calling 885-6559)
Password = Your last name
You should then be permitted access.
If the article you need is not full text, look for the "ArticleLinker" icon on your citation page. "ArticleLinker" is a linking technology that will search other databases for a full text version, or create an Interlibrary Loan form for you, if the item needs to be brought in. Interlibrary Loan usually takes three to five days to deliver an article. Most of the time, the article is sent to you electronically through your Vandal e-mail account. See Interlibrary Loan for setting up an account and details about the service.
Print Journals
A listing of the magazines and journals that the library subscribes to in print is available by searching under "Journal List (Serials Solutions)" from the library's homepage.
Select "Technology and Applied Sciences" from the "Browse Journals by Subject" drop-down box. Find "Engineering" and then "Mechanical Engineering."
Many of the print journals are available electronically, too. Print journals related to Mechanical Engineering include:
- Compressed Air
- Corrosion
- Lubrication Engineering
- Machine Design
- Mechanical Engineering
- Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers
- S.V. Sound and Vibration
- Truck Fleet Management
Patent Information
The University of Idaho Library is a Patent and Trademark Depository Library. Access this webpage for resources on Patents and Trademarks, or stop by the first floor reference area to use the CASSIS2 computer workstation.
Professional Associations
American Design and Drafting Association (ADDA)
American National Standards Institute
American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASRAE)
ASTM International (originally known as the American Society for Testing and Materials)
Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA)
Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE)
Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE)
Society for the Advancement of Materials and Process Engineering (SAMPE)
Society of Manufacturing Engineers
Select Internet Sites
University of Idaho's Mechanical Engineering Department
Mindworks
Department of Defense Single Stock Point for Military Specifications, Standards and Related Publications
Desktop Engineering Online
Dictionary of Units
Digital Library Network for Engineering and Technology (DLNET)
Edinburgh Engineering Virtual Library
eFluids
eFunda
Galaxy – Mechanical Engineering
GearHob
GlobalSpec
iCrank
International Centre for Heat and Mass Transfer (ICHMT)
ISIHighlyCited.com
LSU Libraries: Patents and Trademark
MatWeb
Mechanical Engineering Magazine
MIT OpenCourseWare – Mechanical Engineering
Monachos
Nanotechnology
National Academies
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Robotics Internet Resources Page
SAVIAC- Shock and Vibration Analysis Centre
Science.Gov
SciTechResources.gov
Sodaplay
Thomas Register of American Manufacturers
WWW Virtual Library: Mechanical Engineering
Zycon
Ethics in Engineering:
Case Western Reserve University Ethics Center for Engineering and Science
Web Clearinghouse for Engineering and Computing Ethics
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