Why use books for my research?

• Detailed analysis of a topic
• Background information
• Overview of big issue
• Use their bibliographies to find other sources

Five easy steps to locate books, videos, etc.

1. Decide on your topic
2. Search the online catalog
3. Use call number for background info or overview of topic
4. Evaluate: Should I use this book?
5. How to cite books in your paper

Search the online catalog

• to find books, videos, CDs that the OKC Community College owns
  Note: Cannot use to locate articles on research topics—use article databases instead.
• to identify a specific book and its call number
• use the call number to locate that book (or video, etc) on the shelf

First, click on “Our College Catalog.”

Then, enter your topic, an author’s name, etc.

Hints:

• Looking for an author? Try family name, first name (Steinbeck, John).
• Getting too many irrelevant titles? Click “Subject” instead of hitting “Enter.”
• Need a video? Click “Power Search” at upper right of screen, scroll down to “Location” and highlight “AV.”
• Notice the location—most often it is “second floor.”
• For more tips and better results, check your search strategy.

Finally, be sure to write down the call number for books you want to look at!

Example: PS 3573 .O642 O74 2001

Understanding call numbers

What are call numbers for?

• Each book has a unique call number. The call number is a book’s “address.” Use it to locate a book on the shelves.
• Books as well as videos, DVDs and other items in this Library are organized by subject using the system used by most college libraries—the Library of Congress classification. Books of a similar subject have similar call numbers and sit together on the shelves.

How to read a call number

• Call numbers begin with one or two letters.
• You will see them in 2 different formats:
  
  

  Listed in the online computer catalog:	On the spine label of a book:
  B 74 .M67	B 74 .M67

  
  
• Read and compare call numbers line by line.

Where is that book on the shelf?

• Items are shelved alphabetically—left to right—by the top letter or letters in the call number. For example, all the Bs come before a BF item.
  
  

  B    74   .M67

  B    105    .T266

  B    105    .T54

  BF    76.7    .P83

  
  
• Then all call numbers with the same top letter are sorted by the number below. In the example,
  
  

  B 74

  comes before

  B 105

  
  
• All materials that have the same beginning letter and number are arranged alphabetically by the letter after the decimal point, then by the decimal number. Hint: Think of .T266 as .266—a number smaller than zero. For this reason,
  
  

  B 105 .T266

  comes before

  B 105 .T54

  
  
• There may be a final number, the date of publication.
  Chronological order: 1995 comes before 2002.
  
  

  BF 76.7 .P83 1995

  BF 76.7 .P83 2002

  
  

Using Reference Tools to Find Background Info

What’s a reference tool?

Reference tools can be printed books or online databases. Each is organized so you can easily “refer” to them for background information, definitions, facts or statistics.

Why use a reference tool?

Use a library reference collection to start your research or to quickly find facts to support your argument. Reference tools provide:

• background information
• an overview of a topic
• quick answers to questions
• statistics, facts, details
• links to other sources of info

Note: Reference tools sometimes are not useful if your subject is very current or narrow in focus. For very new topics look for magazine or journal articles instead.

Common types of reference tools:

Source	What kinds of info?	Online reference tool example:	Printed reference tool example:
Almanac	Collection of facts, updated each year	Infoplease.com almanac	Oklahoma Almanac
Atlas	"What kinds of info? Collection of maps" align="center">Collection of maps	Perry Castañeda Library Map Collection	Barrington Atlas of the Greek & Roman World
Biographical Dictionary	Birth dates, important accomplishments	Biography.com	American National Biography (24 vol. set)
Dictionaries	Definitions	foreignword.com	Harvard Dictionary of Music
Encyclopedias	Short background articles	Encyclopedia Britannica	The Beaulieu Encyclopedia of the Automobile
Handbooks	Everything an expert should know	FBI's Handbook of Forensic Services	Nursing Drug Handbook
Manuals	How it works, how to do something	Toiletology 101: The Care and Repair of Toilets	DSM Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
Statistical sources	Back up your research with numbers	Fedstats: Gateway to U.S. statistics	Crime in Oklahoma

-Adapted from University of Utah Health Sciences Center library “Internet Navigator.” http://medstat.med.utah.edu/navigator

How do I find the right reference tool?

• Browse the library reference collection in the appropriate broad subject area.
• Try the Internet Public Library’s wonderful reference site, www.ipl.org
• Check the library’s webpages for other great online reference sources.
• Ask a reference librarian for suggestions.

Quick tips for getting the most out of a reference tool!

Tips for a printed reference book

• Look up your specific topic in the index (at the back of the book) or within the book in alphabetical order.
• Check any instructions given at the front of the book. For example, abbreviations are often explained there.

Tips for an online reference source

• First scan the entire screen to see what your choices are. Follow the instructions on the screen. Trying typing a keyword in the search box.

Each reference tool is different.
If you’re not finding what you need, feel free to ask a librarian.

For more information or questions please contact:
Library Reference Desk
rbutler@occc.edu
(405) 682-1611, Ext. 7251