ENG 112 Finding Information Pt 2 Martin Crabtree

ENG 112 Finding Information Pt. 2 Martin Crabtree MCCC Library

Agenda • Finding books – Dewey Decimal vs. Library of Congress – Using the online catalog • Important places in the library • The Computer Lab • Library visit

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

Finding books in the library Using the online card catalog • 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 computer lab in the library

Link to the catalog is on the library’s web pages.

Getting Around in the Library

Important Places in the Library The Reference Desk The Circulation Desk The Stacks

The person at the reference desk will help you find what you need The Reference Librarian will help you to: • Do database searches • Find books, periodicals and other materials • Find useful web resources • Point out where the restrooms are. But will not read & select the best information for your assignment

At the Circulation Desk You can: • • Check out book here. Get textbook for use in the library Get videos & current newspapers here. Get materials (books, journal articles, etc. ) that your professor has set aside here • Ask for help in your research

There are 2 kinds of stacks • The Reference stacks: – Holds the reference books – These books do not circulate • The General Collection Stacks – Holds the books that you can check out

We have computers too!

The library’s computer lab • To use the computer lab you need to sign in & have your student ID with you. • You can use the computers for research as well as for email, writing papers, spread sheets, etc. • Bring you own disks, CDs, thumb drives, etc. to save your work.

The library’s computer lab • Anything saved on a computer’s hard drive will be erased once the computer is turned off. • Printing costs 10¢ a page. • There is a lab assistant there to help with computer usage questions. • You’ll need to go to the reference desk for research questions.

Now let’s go visit the library