Library Basics Assignment

This exercise covers some of the basic skills needed to find information at the NCSU Libraries. Librarians at the Reference Desk will be happy to help you with it. Note on printing: If you try to print this page using Internet Explorer, some parts may get cut off. You can either highlight all the text of this page, select File --> Print or use the Print drop down menu, change the Page Range to Selection and then print or, you can try printing from a different web browser, like Mozilla or Firefox.

Using the Library Catalog

The library catalog lists the resources provided by the NCSU Libraries, including the books and periodicals (journals, magazines, and newspapers) housed at D.H. Hill Library and the branch libraries. To search the catalog go to the NCSU Libraries' web site at http://www.lib.ncsu.edu. Choose the "Catalog" link in the red section under "Search the Collection."

1. To search the catalog for a known item (when you know the title or author), use the search box under "Search begins with...". Search the catalog by "Title begins with..." for the book called Your First Year at College: Letters to a College Freshman. Click on the 1 Entry link to view the information on this book.

What is the call number of the book? ________________________

Is it located in the African-American Reading Room or D.H. Hill Library? (circle one)

Which floor is it located on? ________________________

2. To search the catalog for a topic rather than a specific item, go back to the catalog's main page (you can click on the Start Over link), and use the search box under "Search for words:" The drop-down menu should say "Anywhere". Complete a keyword search of the catalog using the words north carolina and sports .

How many results did this search find? ________________________

Look through the first page of results and find the book by Pamela Grundy.

What is the title? __________________________________________________________________

What is the call number? ________________________

Which library is it located in? ________________________

3. To find a particular newspaper, scholarly journal, or magazine in the libraries' collection you can search the library catalog. Use the "Search begins with..." search box and select Journal Title begins with... from the drop-down menu to find the scholarly journal called the Journal of Psychology. Take a look at the entry for this journal.

What is the call number of this journal? __________________

Where are the current (newest) issues of this journal located? __________________

Where is this location at in the library? ________________________

On what floor are the older, bound issues located? ________________________

Some journals will also be available electronically (and some may only be available electronically). Click on the "Search for electronic holdings" link for The Journal of Psychology.

Is this journal available online? ________________________

If yes, which years are available? ________________________

4. In the NCSU Libraries, call numbers are arranged according to the Library of Congress classification system. Call numbers begin with a letter code, followed by a number. To find a particular book on the shelf, you search first for the letter code, and then by the number that follows it. Follow the same procedure for additional letter and number codes—use alphabetical order to find the letter code first, and then use numerical order to locate the number code. Now, consider the imaginary bookshelf below. Nine books are on the shelf. The call numbers are visible on four of the books.

Place an "X" in the blank where the book labeled PS3557 .R5355 R8 1996 should be.

Place an "O" in the blank where the book labeled PS3561 .E6675 C6 1997 should be.

(If you need help, stop by the Reference Desk in the Learning Commons at D.H. Hill Library.)

USING THE LIBRARY DATABASES

5. Although the catalog lists the titles of the journals provided by the NCSU Libraries, it does not list articles within those journals. To find an article from a journal, magazine, or newspaper, you must use a database. The Libraries offer access to hundreds of databases. To help you determine which database will work best for you, the Libraries separate them out by General or Newspaper Databases and Subject Databases.

To find a database, go to the library website at http://www.lib.ncsu.edu. Click the "Find Articles" link in the red section under "Search the Collection". The General databases are listed first, including Academic Search Premier. This is a good databases to start with if you are not sure where to begin with your search, or if you have a topic that covers a number of different subject areas. Click on "Academic Search Premier” to access the database. Try a search using the keywords names and academic achievement to find an article on this topic.

How many results did this search find? __________________

Look through the results and locate the article written by Philip G. Erwin.

What is the title of the article that he has written? ____________________________________

In what journal does this article appear? ___________________________________________________

Note: Many databases refer to the title of a journal, magazine, or newspaper at the Source

In this case, you can read this article on the screen, print it out, or email it to yourself. (Click on the PDF symbol to see the whole article.)

6. Sometimes, the full text of the best articles for your research is not available in the database you are searching or even online. Search Academic Search Premier again. This time, use the keywords college students and writing skills. Locate the article entitled "Improving the writing skills of college students" by Ronald T. Kellogg. This article is not available in Academic Search Premier. To find this article, click on the button that is beneath the article. This button will open a new window that will show you the options for locating full-text of this article.

Are there any full text options available for this article? __________________

If yes, list them here ___________________________________________________

Some articles will not be available online. Return to the list of results from Academic Search Premier and locate the article "Types of college student-to-student learning: correlated interactions"in the journal Psychological Reports. Click on the button to see the access options for the article. You'll see that there is No full text available online. Click on the NCSU Libraries Catalog link underneath "Check availability of Print copy". This journal is available in print. Click on the title of the journal to see where you can get a copy.

What library is this journal located in? ___________________________

What is the call number of the journal? __________________

Look at the volume and issue number of the article (volume 94, issue 1). Does the library have this volume and issue? __________________

Note: If you click on display bound volumes, you can see which volumes of a journal the library owns.

Some articles may not be available in the libraries at all, in print or online. Return to the Academic Search Premier results and locate the article "Is the essay resubmission option a formative or a summative assessment and does it matter as long as the grades improve?" by Tanya Covic and Mairwen K. Jones. Use the to locate the link the the Libraries' catalog and search for this journal.

How many results does the catalog search show? __________________

When you get this type of result it means that we do not own the journal that the article you need is in. You can use the third option on the page that shows up when you use the button, Interlibrary Loan to obtain a copy of the article. You'll find out more about Interlibrary Loan in the next section.

Using the Library Web Site

7. The library provides an online tutorial to teach students about basic library research skills. This tutorial is called LOBO. Go to the NCSU Libraries' web site at http://www.lib.ncsu.edu. Click on "LOBO" in the teal section under "Services."

What is the URL (web address) for LOBO? __________________________________________________

8. The D.H. Hill Library provides a number of computing options including different software for your use in a number of different locations. To see where all the computers in D.H. Hill are located and whether they are available, you can use the Computer Availability Map. To find the Computer Availably Map, go to the library web site at http://www.lib.ncsu.edu. Click on "Learning Commons" link in the maroon section under "Community". The Learning Commons Computer Availability map will appear on the page. To see where the other computers are in the Library, click on the D.H. Hill Library Computer Availability link below the Learning Commons map.

Which floors in the tower have computers? ____________________________

Are there computers in the West Wing? ____________________________

Which floors in the East Wing have computers? ____________________________

9. Sometimes all of the computers on the Library will be in use. If this happens you can go to the Learning Commons to check out a laptop at the Device Lending Desk. The Device Lending Desk also checks out other devices. Return to the main Learning Commons page at http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/learningcommons/index.php and look at the Borrow section that is to the right of the Computer Availability Map.

What other devices can you check out from the Learning Commons?

_________________________________________________________________________________

10. Go back to the library web site at http://www.lib.ncsu.edu. Click on "Reserves" in the teal section under "Services."

What do you need to do to see reserves for courses you are registered for?

_________________________________________________________________________________

What do you do if you do not see your courses?

_________________________________________________________________________________

11. Go back to the library web site at http://www.lib.ncsu.edu. Click on "Tripsaver" in the teal section under "Services."

What six things can Tripsaver be used for?
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________

Who can use Tripsaver? _________________________________

Using the D. H. Hill Library

12. Books and older, bound copies of journals are located in the "Bookstacks" or "Tower" section of the library. Go to the Reference Desk in the Learning Commons (1st floor, East Wing) and ask for a library map (or you can look in the plastic bins near the elevators) and attach it to this sheet. Use the library map to find the floor of the Tower where the books in the LB 3605 to LB 3610 call number range are located. Then, go to that floor and browse the books in that call number range.

Which floor are these books located on? ________________________

What subject do the books and journals in this call number range cover? ________________________

13. The NCSU Libraries subscribes to thousands of scholarly journals. Recent issues are located in the "Current Periodicals" area in the Erdahl-Cloyd (West) Wing of the D.H. Hill library. Go to the Current Periodicals section and find the journal with the call number LB 2300 .C48.

What is the title of this journal? _________________________________________________________

14. The Libraries provide WolfCopy copiers for students to use in D. H. Hill Library and the branch libraries. Students must go to the Photocopy Services office to purchase a WolfCopy card. (The Photocopy Services office is located in the main lobby of D.H. Hill Library, to the left of the main circulation desk.) Self-service photocopiers are located in the Photocopy Services lobby, across from the current periodicals shelving in the West Wing, in the center of Learning Commons in the East Wing, and all floors of the stacks tower.

How many copiers are located in the West Wing? _____________________

Where are the two coin-operated photocopiers in the D.H. Hill Library?

_______________________________ and _______________________________

Note: Photocopies and printouts cost $.10 per page.

15. At the Reference Desk, librarians are available to help you with your research. Go to the Reference Desk in the Learning Commons, explain that you are working on an assignment and ask the librarian for a business card. Staple the card to this worksheet.

16. Ask the librarian about how you can get help with your research via phone, email, IM and chat through the "Ask a Librarian" service.

What is the URL (web address) for the web page that shows how to contact a reference librarian by phone, email, IM or chat? __________________________

17. Many instructors bring their students to the library for special instruction sessions taught by librarians. Library instruction classes are held in the Information Technology Teaching Center (ITTC) labs.

What are the room numbers for the ITTC labs? ___________

Hint: They are located on the second floor of the East Wing of D.H. Hill Library.

18. Some projects may require you to work with different media or create and audio/visual project. The Digital Media Lab, offers you access to the equipment and resources you will need to work on these types of projects. Visit the Digital Media Lab (located on the second floor of the East Wing of D.H. Hill Library).

What types of scanners do they offer in the lab?

______________________________________________________________________________

Does the lab have Macs only, PCs only, or both Mac and PCs? (circle one)

The lab also offers large-format poster printing.

How much does it cost to use the large-format printer? __________________________

What other type of printer is available in the lab? __________________________

19. Students may use their ID cards to check out books at the Circulation Desk on the 1^st floor or the Express Desk at the entrance to the library.

How long can an undergraduate student check out a book? ______________________

Are there daily fines for regular overdue books? _________________________

Are there daily fines for recalled items that are overdue? _________________________