Mastering Library Research

Researching with Books and Library Catalogs

• Books provide more detail than other sources and are important for research.

• Scholarly books contain intricate details, organized logically into chapters, and carefully documented with bibliographies, endnotes, footnotes, or references.

• Books can lead you to other useful sources and should be used strategically.

• Strategies for using books in research include searching a library's online catalog, using WorldCat, locating books on a library's shelves, and using interlibrary loan to obtain books not available in your library.

• A research log is important when investigating books to guide the investigation.

• A card catalog is a system for finding books in a library using 3-by-5 cards arranged alphabetically in wooden cases.

• The electronic version of a card catalog is an online or library catalog, which requires a login for affiliated people to save records, keep search histories, and export citations.

• Online catalogs provide information about each book, including the call number and status, and offer keyword, author, title, and subject searches.

• Boolean operators are a type of search technique using words like "and" and "or" to refine searches in online catalogs.

• Call numbers are unique identifiers assigned to each book in a library's collection, and academic librarians use the Dewey Decimal Classification or Library of Congress Classification system to classify books.

• Interlibrary Loan is a service that allows users to borrow books from other libraries for free or a small fee and can include books, book chapters, journal articles, videos, and reels of microfilm.

• If you can't find a book in your local library, use Interlibrary Loan to borrow it from another library.Tips for Conducting Research Using Library Resources

• E-books are electronic versions of physical books that can be accessed through library websites.

• E-books have the advantage of being searchable by keywords and easier to navigate.

• E-books can be accessed through a link in the book's item record on the library website.

• Libraries purchase both physical and e-books for their collections.

• Free online books can be found through Project Gutenberg, Google Books, and author sites.

• Google Books is a website that features scanned pages of numerous books about various topics.

• Searches can be run within Google Books to find specific information.

• Not all books on Google Books are available in full.

• Skimming the table of contents and chapter titles can help determine if a book is relevant for research.

• The bibliography of a book is a list of sources used in the book.

• Interlibrary loan can be used to order physical books or electronic versions of book chapters and journal articles.

• Starting research using Interlibrary Loan several weeks before a deadline is recommended.