Academic Strategies Course Readings (ENGL 1003)

Like most libraries, our collection includes many different types of information resources: books, periodicals, reference materials, videos, maps, & audio recordings. For now, let's focus on the first three:

To Do: Now that you've seen an overview of what the library has to offer, take some time to gain experience using a few of the library's resource finding tools:

The library's collection is organized using the Library of Congress classification system. Each item in the collection is cataloged and assigned a call number based on its content. The call number, containing a string of letters and numbers, works very much like an address.  
You find the address by searching the library catalog, just like people search Google, Yahoo or Bing to find an address for a place.

Each item record in the library catalog will show the call number assigned to that item. Note the call number, then use the guides on the end of each shelf to find the right "street" (the first one or two letters). Using the remaining numbers and letters, you should find the book in its proper place numerically.

Good to know: Since books are classified by subject, once you've found one on the shelves that meets your needs, take a minute to look at the books nearby.  Chances are, they may provide useful information as well.

This page shows a list of broad subjects and the letters assigned to them.

To Do: You use the Library Catalog to locate materials (books & AV items) held in our Library's collection. Go ahead and try a keyword search in the box below for something you'd like to know more about (from the list you made earlier). HINT: A catalog search works best if you enter a noun or noun phrase (person, place, thing or idea).

If you did not view the third video on the bottom of the Library Introduction (first) page of this module (in Box #6), please do so before you go any further. The link to the video is below. Thanks! See you back here in a minute!

The TCC Library subscribes to over 50 different databases, which are filled with articles (or sometimes just information about articles, a.k.a.citations). Here are a few tips to help you find and select the right database:

• The databases are arranged on our web site in two different ways: in Alphabetical order AND on a different page, by subject.
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• If you know the database you want, find it on the A-Z page & try a few keyword searches.  If you don't know which one to use, use the Databases by Subject page to find one that would likely include information on your topic.
• Start by limiting your search to full text (that is an option available in most databases)

Imagine you have to write a short paper for your Introduction to Psychology class, using at least 5 different sources, 3 of which must be scholarly articles.  Your instructor has said you can choose to research any disorder that interests you.  You’ve read a little bit about bipolar disorder in your textbook, and it seemed to be the most interesting.  

So you find a database on the library web site, and you enter "bipolar disorder" into the search box. Over 5000 article citations come up, and you're thinking this will be easy.  Until you start reading the titles and find that you don’t understand what any of them are saying.  You're very discouraged at this point because even though these articles SEEM TO BE about bipolar disorder, all of them are way over your head, written way beyond your level of understanding.

In fact, most scholarly articles written in the field of psychology will not explain the basics of the disorder.  Most of them are about experiments and other research based on the study of psychological disorders.  That will be the case in nearly all disciplines (subjects).

This is where reference sources can be VERY helpful.  Encyclopedias, manuals, almanacs, dictionaries and other reference works provide foundational information that you can use to build your basic knowledge of something.  Spending some time using reference sources can really help you better understand what you're reading in a scholarly article.

To Do: Use two of the specific online reference tools listed below to gain some general information about one of your topics of interest. Then read a short description about a few more great online reference sources and try your search in one of them also.