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| Information Literacy Guide | Locating Information | Using the Online Catalog | Resources | Site Outline |
Locating Information: Using the Online Catalog |
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Many years ago libraries used drawers full of cards to help patrons find the right book. Now computers make it easy for us to locate the right materials if we know the author, the title, the subject or the keyword. |
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Step 1- Opening the Library World catalog program
Somewhere on the desktop of your computer, you will see the option to open the Library Catalog or open Library World. When the screen you see below pops up, click in the box for GUEST and then click OK.
Step 2 - Choosing the best search type
This screen allows you to choose the kind of search you will do. If you know the exact TITLE or AUTHOR of the item you are looking for, select one of these. If you are looking for items on a particular subject, it is usually easier to do a KEYWORD search than a SUBJECT search (You will get some items that have nothing to do with your topic but a SUBJECT search requires knowing the exact word or phrase the library uses to name your topic.) EXPERT SEARCHING does not give you the spelling help the other search choices give you, but it does allow you to search using more than one term at a time.
Click on the icon for the search that will work best for you.
Step 3 - Getting the list of items available in the library.
Step 4 - Getting more information
Sometimes you want to know more about the book before you look for it on the shelf. If you click on one of the titles on your list, you get a screen like this. It is useless but it gives you the option of selecting SHOW CARD. Click on SHOW CARD.
Step 5 - Reading "the card".
Before there were computers, library catalogs were drawers full of cards like these. It is useful to know just what information is where on the card. Sometimes all the information doesn't fit on one "card". If that is true, click on the first card and the second card will appear.
Step 6 - Getting the book
Using the information about Call Number, Title and Author, go to the correct shelf in the library to find the information. If you don't know how to do this, go to Locating Information/Library organization.
On to the next section... Reference Tools
| Defining | Locating | Selecting | Organizing | Presenting | Evaluating |
Please send comments or questions to the 4J
Web Team.
Eugene School District 4J
200 North Monroe Street, Eugene, Oregon 97402
Phone: 541.687.3123 [TTD 541.687.3447]
Last modified: October, 2003 by Steinke, Ague, Feuerhelm, Maxwell, and Warburg