Getting Familiar with Library Research

This exercise is designed to help you familiarize yourself with resources in the Ray W. Howard Library. After our tour of the library, please complete each of the following tasks. Be sure and ask a librarian if you have any questions.

1. Searching for books in the online catalog -

Use the library's online catalog (hint: go to the library home page - http://oscar.ctc.edu/library) to find books on a topic.

A. Go to Guided Keyword and, following directions closely type in a topic in the search box or boxes. If you can't think of one, try censorship.

B. How many records were returned?

C. Choose one of these books and look at the record. What is the call number?

_______________________

D. Is it available to check out? ___ If so, go to the shelf and see if you can find it.

2. Using Congressional Quarterly Researcher -

A. Go to the Reference Collection and find the CQ Researcher, Call # 900.5 E23. Get the Index (a white notebook) and look up a topic. If you can't find one that interests you, try censorship.

B. What information does the Index give you? _____________________

C. Now go to the thick blue books and find the articles listed in the Index.

D. What information can you find in the blue books? __________________________________________________________

3. Using Printed Indexes to find magazine and journal articles -

A. Go to the index tables behind the Reference Desk and find the Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature.

B. Choose one of these books and look up a topic. If you can't think of one, try censorship.

Are there any subtopics listed? If so, list them here. ____________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

C. Choose an article and copy down the following information: Title of article, Title of magazine or journal, Author, Date, Page Number. This is called a citation.

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

D. Now check to see if our library carries this periodical. (use a red notebook called "Periodicals in our Library."

E. If you can, go to the shelves and try to find this article. How are periodicals organized on the shelves? _____________________________________________________

4. Using ProQuest to find magazine and journal articles.

A. Go to one of the computers in the Reference Area and open ProQuest (Hint: go to the library's home page first - http://oscar.ctc.edu)

B. Choose ALL DATABASES and type in a topic at the Search Screen. Try banned books if you can't think of another topic.

C. How many articles are returned? __________Are any full-text? _______________

E. Choose one and either email it to yourself, save it to disk or print out the first page.

5. ON THE BACK OF THIS SHEET LIST AT LEAST ONE THING YOU LEARNED TODAY AND AT LEAST ONE QUESTION YOU STILL HAVE ABOUT USING THE LIBRARY.