Research Skills Tutorial
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Modules:
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2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
Outcomes
Contents of this Module:
Learning Outcomes
Library Catalogue Definition
Searching the Library Catalogue (Countess)
Refining Search Results
Searching the WorldCat Database
Using Interlibrary Loan Services
By the end of this module, students should be able to:
- Know the types of information sources to be found in a library catalogue (book, periodical, audio-visual material, government publication).
- Use the library's catalogue(Countess) to identify books in the library.
- Understand the difference between keyword and title searches in Countess.
- Understand the use of subject headings.
- Perform searches successfully in the WorldCat database of the FirstSearch on-line system to identify other books.
- Use Interlibrary Loan (ILL) service, as appropriate.
A library catalogue is a listing of the materials owned by an individual library. Simple library catalogues are merely inventory lists. More sophisticated catalogues offer the researcher a variety of ways to identify the catalogue’s contents, including the ability to search by the item’s author or editor, by title, or by words describing the item’s contents.
The physical format of the library catalogue has changed dramatically over time. Catalogues of earlier eras took the forms of hand-written lists, card files, bound volumes and even microfiche. The majority of library catalogues today, including that of the the Houghton Memorial Library, take the form of on-line databases.
Houghton Memorial Library's online catalogue is called Countess (in honor of Selina, the Countess of Huntingdon for whom the college is named). Access to Countess is available through the library web page or by clicking on the 'Library' button from the college's homepage.
Countess lists the books and audio-visual materials owned by the Houghton Memorial Library. To identify periodical articles, see Module 4. Methods for identifying materials owned by other libraries will be discussed in sections 4 & 5, below.
The three types of searches used most often in Countess are Name, Keyword, and Title Browse. Other types of searches include Name Browse, Subject Browse and Subject Word.
- A Name (author or name) search identifies items in the library catalogue both by and about a person. This type of search is most useful when the research is focused on a literary author or a theorist in an academic discipline. A single search will identify all the items pertinent to that person in the library catalogue. The results of a Name search are arranged in two subgroups: the first lists items by the person in alphabetical order by the title of each item; the second subgroup lists items about the person in alphabetical order by the author of each item. The results appear as one uninterrupted list.
- A Keyword search identifies items in the library catalogue that contain the word(s) in the search query. The word(s) may appear in the item’s title, subject headings, or table of contents. The words in a multi-word search may or may not appear together; they may be found in different parts of the item’s on-line record. As noted in Module 2, the Boolean operator "and" is implied between the words in a Keyword search query in Countess. The results of a Word search are arranged in reverse chronological order by publication date, with the newest items appearing at the top of the list.
- A Title Browse verifies whether or not the library catalogue includes a specific, known title. A Title search in Countess is essentially a phrase search; the words entered as a Title search must start with the first word of the title and list all words of the title in the proper order. A Title search query must be very precise in Countess. For example, if the title uses the word "nineteenth" and the researcher enters "19th", no match occurs, and that item will not be identified. The same holds true for "and" versus "&." The experienced researcher will try all possibilities. Note that the Title search is limited to matching on titles only. No subject headings or tables of contents are scanned by a Title search. The results of a Title search are arranged in alphabetical order, starting with the title entered in the search query.
- A Name Browse produces an alphabetical list of names, and indicates the number of matches for each name. Names must be entered in the format [Last Name, First Name], such as Thackeray, William Makepeace.
- A Subject Browse produces an alphabetical list of Library of Congress Subject Headings, also known as "descriptors" or "other entries," and indicates the number of matches for each. Like a title browse, this search is a phrase search, and must start with the first word of the phrase and list subsequent words in the proper order.
- A Subject Word search identifies key words found in the Library of Congress Subject Headings, no matter what their sequence. Unlike a regular word search, a subject word search does not include words from titles or tables of contents.
When using the Keyword search option, the researcher may find the initial search results too numerous, too few, or too imprecise. In these cases, a search refinement is in order. When the results are too numerous, additional word(s) may be added to the initial results, with the "and" Boolean operator at work.
When the results are too few, any of several different conclusions may be drawn. First, the library simply may not own many items on the topic. The researcher could shift the topic focus, or search other library catalogues for books on the topic. Second, the Keyword search may be too narrowly focused; a broader search may be needed, with the expectation that a chapter or section of an item on that broader topic might discuss the more specialized topic. Third, the words used in constructing the search query may not be the same words that appear in the subject headings. In this case, the researcher would want to identify and use the appropriate subject heading(s). As was noted in Module 2, all the items in a library catalogue on the same topic are assigned the same subject heading. So, a Keyword search using a standard subject heading will identify all the items in the library catalogue on the desired topic.
One method for identifying more appropriate subject headings while searching the library catalogue is to find one item that is a relatively good match. An examination of the "Subjects" section of that item’s display will identify all the subject headings assigned to this item. A new Keyword search could be entered, using one of the subject headings of the "good match" item. Alternatively, clicking on the subject headings will perform a "Subject Browse" search that will, bring up a list of subjects and allow you to pick one for a list of books with that particular subject heading.
Another search that can be performed from within an item's full record is an author express search. By clicking on the author's name, the catalogue will perform a new search for other items by the same author.
Finally, the Call Number Browse essentially provides a method of browsing the library shelves on-line. The call number search displays all the items on the library shelves, starting with the call number of the selected item. Because call numbers represent subjects and because books on the same or similar subjects have the same or similar call numbers, books on the same or similar subjects will be shelved near one another. Browsing the library shelves allows the researcher to find other books on the same or related topics serendipitously.
For large projects that require comprehensive, exhaustive research, the researcher should consider the WorldCat database as a source. The WorldCat database, also known as the OCLC ("Online Computer Library Center") Online Union Catalogue, contains more than 32 million records describing items owned by libraries worldwide. It is most widely available via the OCLC FirstSearch system.
Two special features of the WorldCat database are library ownership identification and on-line interlibrary loan requesting. Once an item has been selected from a list of WorldCat search results, the researcher can click on "Libraries with Item" to see a listing of libraries that own it. To submit an interlibrary loan request for an item in the WorldCat database, the researcher can click on "Get/Display Item," then choose "Interlibrary Loan." Subsequent on-line prompts will elict patron information needed to process requests.
A researcher’s first option to obtain the books identified in the online library catalogue searches described above is to visit the library and check out the books directly.
Researchers who are unable to visit the appropriate libraries have another option available to them called Interlibrary Loan.
Interlibrary Loan (ILL) is a system of borrowing items owned by libraries other than the Houghton Memorial Library. Huntingdon students and faculty, regardless of their geographic location, simply submit requests for the desired items. Requests may be submitted directly by logging into the Countess catalogue(you will need to enter the number located on the back of your library card and your last name)and clicking on the 'Requests' link at the bottom of the page.
Interlibrary Loan staff identify appropriate library owners and contact the owning library to borrow the item. Local patrons pick up ILL materials from the Houghton Memorial Library when notified that the item is available. Distance learning patrons receive ILL materials sent to a convenient location, whether home, office or extended campus address. Patrons are responsible for returning books borrowed through ILL to these locations.
Go to Module 4
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