Using the Library CSS 101 Martin J Crabtree

Using the Library CSS 101 Martin J. Crabtree MCCC Library September 2007

Agenda • • • Why is finding & using information important The MCCC Library The helpful folks at the MCCC library Some kinds of library materials So what do I look for – Picking a topic Finding books in a college library & using the catalog • A short quiz

Why is finding and using information important? • The ability to find and use information is something that you’ll need both in college and as part you the rest or your life! • You will need these skills to do thing in college like researching & writing a term paper • You will also need it for things like: – Finding a job – Deciding which car to buy • Anytime where you need to “find something out”

What is information literacy? Information literacy is the ability to: • Realize that you need information to find something out/answer a question • Know where to go to get the information you need • Ask the right questions to get the information you need • Put all the information you found together to answer your question

For example, say you want to go on a date. What kind of information might you need?

Going on a date 1. Who do you want to go with? – That’s your choice 2. What do you want to do? – – Movie? Dinner out? Amusement park? Concert?

Say you pick a concert, now you need some information • • Are there any good concert coming up? When is the concert? How much are tickets? How do I get there if I’m driving to the concert? • How much does it cost to park my car? • Can I take a bus or train to the concert?

So what does this have to do with college? • In college, just like going on a date, you must be able to find out what you need to know.

This isn’t just being able to use a computer and the internet • You will need to have some computer skills – To use computer programs – Access the internet – Print, email, save files, etc. • But it is equally important to have the ability to find information you need and know what to do with the “stuff” you found.

The MCCC Library can help • The library has a lot of useful information for both your college work and personal needs. • The library staff can help you find what you need and help you to improve your information finding skills.

The MCCC Libraries • There are three (3) libraries at MCCC – West Windsor Campus (in the Library Building) – James Kerney Campus (on the 3 rd floor) – Dempster Fire Training Center

The reference desk is first thing you see you when you enter the WW library • The people who are at this desk are there to help you find what you need. • Ask them for the information you need. They will help you find the best materials for you.

The people at the circulation desk can help too • You check out book here. • You get videos & newspapers here. • You can get materials (books, journal articles, etc. ) that your professor has set aside here (can’t leave the library) • The people here can help answer your questions too.

So what all is in the library?

What’s in the library Beside helpful library staff there are: • A quiet place to study • Books • Magazines & Journals • Open computer lab • Videos • CDs • Copiers • Expect to use many types of library materials to do a good job for your college assignments

Reference books • • • There are many types of books Some are called reference books They contain factual information, not fiction Cover many subject areas You’ll likely not read an entire reference book, but will use the info from a few pages.

Reference books include • • • Encyclopedias – intro to a topic Almanacs – find facts here Atlases – maps of all types Dictionaries – look up words Many more – Biographical sources – info about people – Quotations – what people have said about a topic – Statistics – Number facts

Selecting a research topic Figuring out what you want to find out about

Selecting a topic • Make sure you understand your assignment completely. • Look at general resources like an encyclopedia to find out more about the broad topic, looking for things that may interest you. • Think of a topic that both will fulfill your assignment and be interesting to you personally. • Use the library catalog to find books on your topic. • Use library databases and indexes to find periodical (magazine, journal, newspaper) articles.

Finding Books • Books are put on the shelves grouped by subject. • You may be familiar with the Dewey Decimal System which is used by many school and public libraries. • MCCC like most colleges uses a different system called the Library of Congress (LC) system. • The LC system used both letters and number

Library of Congress System • Organizes knowledge into 21 broad categories. • The 21 categories (labeled A to Z, but missing I, O, W, X and Y) are further subdivided by adding one or two additional letters and a set of numbers. • The first letter of a Library of Congress (LC) call number indicates the general subject area. • The second letter indicates the specific subject section within the general category.

Library of Congress vs. the Dewey Decimal Systems Dewey Decimal System Library of Congress • Ancient Olympic Games: 796. 48 PER • Ancient Olympic Games: GV 23. S 9 1999 • Fiction books are all in the same place: F DIC • Fiction books are part of the system: PZ 3. D 55 T 3 • Biography books are also in the same place: B EDI • Biographies are mixed into the collection: TK 140. E 3 J 75

The bottom line Library of Congress (LC) starts with letters (and has some number too) Dewey starts with numbers

Using The MCCC Card Catalog to find books and more • The catalog is available online. Used to find books, videos and other material both in the MCCC collection and the Mercer County Public (MCL) libraries. • You can have materials from MCL brought to the college. Deliveries arrive Tuesday and Friday afternoons. (DVD’s not available from MCL) • You will need to have your student ID card to borrow books or use the library’s computer lab

The link to the catalog is on the library’s web pages.

Periodicals • Periodicals include: – scholarly journals – newspapers – Magazines • Periodicals represent the bulk of published scholarly information. • They contain more up-to-date information than books • The library has a number of periodicals available in print, on microfilm, and especially via electronic databases. • The library staff can help determine if a specific periodical is available from the library.

Next time • • Using computers to find information Searching the MCCC library’s catalog Using the electronic databases Evaluating web information • Now for a bit of a quick quiz.