Library Research & Information Literacy

Part 1: Using the Online Catalog

This unit is designed to help you:

• Find books, videos, DVDs and more using the Library Catalog.

• Locate items by author, title or subject.• Examine your results to find useful

material.

Ready, set, go! Begin this assignment by visiting the Palomar College Library website.

http://www.palomar.edu/library

Part 1: Using the Online Catalog

Starting at the Library homepage, click on the link to the Catalog near the top of the page.

You can search the Catalog by subject, by a particular author, or for a specific title.

The simplest way to search for books and other items on a particular subject is to do a keyword search, like the example below shows.

If your topic combines more than one concept, such as “the effects of poverty on education”, put AND between your search terms.

To complete the search, click on “everything” or just push enter. (It’s usually not effective to click on “subject” when you are just starting your research. That will come a little later.)

A set of results will come up. When you see a book or other item that looks useful, click on its details to see more information.

Here is some information you can expect to find in the details for an item:

• Title• Author• Call Number• Type of resource (book, eBook, video-recording, etc.)• Where it’s located (San Marcos, Escondido, online, etc.)• Publication information

You might also find book reviews, summaries, lists of content, chapter titles, and an image of the book jacket. These will all help you to decide if this item will be useful for your research.

Once you’ve found an item that looks relevant, check the record to see what other subjects are listed. You can click on a subject heading to find a more focused set of results.

To search for books by a particular author, simply type his/her name into the search box and click on author.

When you need to find a specific book, video or DVD, and know the title, find it by selecting the Browse button, type the title into the box, and click on title.

This will bring up an alphabetic list of titles. Select the one you want from the list by clicking on it.

Call NumbersWhen you find a book you’d like to read, check the location and write down the call number. A call number is like the address for a book. It tells you where the book is located in the bookshelves. Here are some examples of book titles and call numbers:

TITLE CALL NUMBER

100% student success LB2343.3 .S664 2007

Interracial America : opposing viewpoints

E184 .A1 I593 2006

Serpent of the Nile : women and dance in the Arab world

GV 1704.B86 1998

The call number is located directly under “Holdings.” It consists of a series of letters and numbers that was assigned according to its subject matter.

RECAP

Use the library catalog to find:•Books•DVDs•Videos

Search for items by:•Subject•Author•Title

NOW YOU DO IT! Please proceed to Test #1.