Module 4: Locating
|
©
All rights reserved.
University of Idaho
Information Literacy Portal
UI Core Curriculum |
|
4.0 Objectives
|
Module 4: Locating
|
Print
Module 4
< Back | Next >
|
Module 4: Locating
Objectives:
- Understand the purpose and parts of a citation
- Understand how the citation helps you locate a source online or
in a library
- Understand library collections and services
- Understand how to locate sources using library classification
systems such as Dewey Decimal and Library of Congress
|
Module 4
|
< Back | Next >
|
|
4.1 Citations
|
Module 4: Locating
|
Print
Module 4
< Back | Next >
|
Module 4: Locating
ci·tá·tion
noun: A quoting of an authoritative source for substantiation.
The American
Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 200
A
citation is a brief description of one specific information source,
usually appearing in a bibliography, list of references, or a database.
It includes enough information to permit the reader to find the source
and may appear in a number of variant formats, e.g. American
Psychological Association (APA), Modern Language Association (MLA),
Council of Biology Editors (CBE), or Chicago Style. A citation is made of parts, each part indicating specific
information about the source. You can usually tell what type of source
is being described by looking carefully at the citation. The citation
below (in APA style) refers to an article found in a journal called
Climatic Change.
|
Module 4
|
|
< Back | Next >
|
|
4.2 Reading Citations
|
Module 4: Locating
|
Print
Module 4
< Back | Next >
|
Module 4: Locating
Citations represent more than just books and magazines. They
represent any written, spoken, or broadcast source, including Web sites,
a single chapter from a book, the text of a law or treaty, an interview,
or a documentary video. Accurate citations allow you to track down the
most difficult-to-find sources, wherever they may be located. |
|
Reading Citations Self-Quiz |
Instructions: Identify the type of source described
in the citations below. |
|
|
Module 4
|
< Back | Next >
|
|
4.3 Locating Your Source
|
Module 4: Locating
|
Print
Module 4
< Back | Next >
|
Module 4: Locating
in the Library
cat·a·log noun: 1. a
systematic, usu. annotated, list of books, merchandise, or the like
that is available in or from a source such as a library or mail
order merchandiser.
Wordsmyth
Dictionary-Thesaurus, 2003.
When you don't find a needed source on the Internet or in a
disciplinary database, a citation can be used to find the source
somewhere else, typically in a library. The source for discovering what
a library owns and where they keep it is a catalog. The library
catalog is a database of everything a library owns; but its records
don't include article titles, and rarely include chapter titles. So,
don't search for article or chapter titles. Search for book, journal,
magazine, or newspaper titles.
Do's and Don'ts |
Sample |
Sample periodical citation |
Croley, Steven P. & Jackson, John H. (1996) "WTO dispute procedures,
standard of review, and deference to national governments." American
Journal of International Law , v90 n2 193-213 |
Don't search the library catalog for ... |
"WTO dispute procedures ... " the article title. With what you have
already learned about citations, you know where the article is
published; it's in the American
Journal of International Law, so ... |
Search the library catalog for ... |
American
Journal of International Law. This will tell you whether the
library can provide access to the journal and where it's shelved.
When you get there, you will be looking for volume 90, number 2,
1996. |
|
Module 4
|
< Back | Next >
|
|
4.4 Not in the Library?
|
Module 4: Locating
|
Print
Module 4
< Back | Next >
|
Module 4: Locating
What if the library you are in does not own the book or journal you
want to locate?
The department or service that can find it for you and try to borrow
it from another library is usually called Interlibrary Loan. Journal,
magazine and newspaper articles are often sent in electronic format via
email; you may receive these within a couple of days of requesting them.
Books usually take at least two weeks to be mailed from another library.
|
Module 4
|
< Back | Next >
|
|
4.5 Library Organization
|
Module 4: Locating
|
Print
Module 4
< Back | Next >
|
Module 4: Locating:
Sections
Each library is organized for the best use of its primary customers.
- Public libraries support the recreation, business, and
citizenship needs of their communities.
- Special libraries support the information needs of their
employers (law firms, corporate research & development, hospitals,
etc.)
- School library and media centers support the classroom
activities of elementary and secondary school students.
- Academic libraries (undergraduate libraries and the
libraries of small colleges and universities and community colleges)
support the course work of their students.
- Research libraries are maintained at large research
universities and support both student course work and faculty
research. These are typically the world's largest libraries.
To make finding sources easier, librarians categorize materials
using various characteristics, such as format (video, book, Web
site), source type (reference, fiction), and subject (engineering,
social work, sports). These collections may be arranged by room,
floor, Web page, or building. Explore the sample library sections
below (click rooms for more info). |
|
|
Module 4
|
Sample Library Floor Plan |
|
|
< Back | Next >
|
|
4.6 Library Classification
|
Module 4: Locating
|
Print
Module 4
< Back | Next >
|
Module 4: Locating:
Subjects
Within a library collection, materials are typically organized by
subject. Librarians assign a call number based on a work's subject and
sources are then shelved by that call number so that anyone browsing the
shelves will find most of the titles on a subject together.
There are 2 main subject classification systems that translate a work's
subject and author or title into a code (call number) that determines
where it will be shelved.
The examples below illustrate how the two main subject classification
systems, Library of Congress and Dewey Decimal, are used to assign call
numbers for the book, Battle in Seattle by Janet Thomas, published in
2000, about the demonstrations during the WTO summit in Seattle.
Subject Classification |
How it works |
Instructions: Click on Go, and call number (one Library of Congress,
one Dewey Decimal) are rearranged with explanation of each part of
number for above book, shown in a graphic. |
Library of Congress: Used in most college, university, and research
libraries because it handles large collections. |
|
Dewey Decimal: Used in most public and school libraries because it
is more effective for smaller collections. |
|
|
Module 4
|
< Back | Next >
|
|