My Duke Library: Boyang Zhang’s Perspective

Boyang Zhang, who is from a small city in Northern China, is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the Pratt School of Engineering. His research interests are in the safe guidance and control of multiple agents, such as autonomous ground vehicles and unmanned quadrotor aerial vehicles, in dynamic and uncertain environments.

How has the library impacted your Duke experience?

I have found that Duke University Libraries offer many useful resources and tools to assist me in my research. They also provide a friendly and welcoming environment, and I thoroughly enjoy studying and researching there.

Boyang stands in front of the writings of one of his favorite authors, Jin Yong (金庸)

What’s something you’ve discovered in the library or library’s collections?

I’ve had many pleasant experiences in the library, including its free access to numerous online research databases, notably IEEE, Web of Science, and Science Direct, that I can search and from which I can instantly download relevant articles. Moreover, it offers a variety of interesting and helpful workshops such as how to use the citation management software EndNote and how to find suitable journals to publish my research work. I’ve also enjoyed participating in advanced lectures on machine learning and data visualization in The Edge.

What’s a favorite space or service? And why?

I greatly appreciate the document delivery and interlibrary loan services. The libraries locate books and articles I request and deliver them directly to me in a timely manner.

Boyang’s library pro tip:

Don’t hesitate to ask for help! The librarians are friendly and supportive, and are always willing to help.