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Library Resources
Use library resources as starting points to ensure credible, relevant, and high-quality research.
Overview
While Google and Wikipedia can be good starting points for general background information on a topic, they shouldn’t be the only sources of research for college-level research. Unlike random websites, library materials are reviewed by experts, so you can be confident you’re using accurate and reliable sources.
Most academic libraries provide access to hundreds (at larger schools, thousands) of electronic research databases and millions of other resources. If you’re new to college-level research, knowing which databases to use is nearly impossible without guidance.
Research guides are the best way to locate different types of resources in your subject area. Here are some of the resources you can find using a research guide.
Locating Print Materials in the Library
Most large academic libraries provide access to thousands, and in some cases millions, of e-books. However, older, specialized, or less frequently used titles may exist only in print. Understanding how to read Library of Congress call numbers is necessary to locate materials on library shelves. In the library world, this is known as shelf reading.
The Library of Congress Call Number System
In the Library of Congress Classification System, books are arranged by call number in alphanumeric order. Call numbers are the codes academic libraries use to organize and locate books and other materials on their shelves. A mix of letters and numbers, a call number can be considered the “address” of a book in a library.
Click for the main classes of LC Classification.
A: General Works
B: Philosophy. Psychology. Religion
C: Auxiliary Sciences of History
D: World History
E: History of the Americas
F: History of the Americas
G: Geography. Anthropology. Recreation.
H: Social Sciences
J: Political Science
K: Law
L: Education
M: Music & Books on Music
N: Fine Arts
P: Language & Literature
Q: Science
R: Medicine
S: Agriculture
T: Technology
U: Military Science
V: Naval Science
Z: Bibliography. Library Science. Information Resources (General)
The following books about the political theorist Niccolò Machiavelli are shelved in the same general location. Let’s break down the call number of one of the books: Machiavelli’s Virtue by Harvey C. Mansfield (JC143.M4 M355)
| Segment | Code | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Class | J | Political Science (Main Subject) |
| Subclass | JC | Political Theory |
| Topic | 143 | Works about Niccolò Machiavelli |
Cutter 1* | .M4 | For the subject (Machiavelli) |
| Cutter 2 | M355 | For the author (Mansfield) |
| Date | 1996 | Year of publication |
*A cutter number is a coded shorthand for a word (usually a name) that allows libraries to arrange books alphabetically on the shelf without spelling out the full name.
You don’t need to decode every piece of a call number to locate a book. What does matter is knowing just enough to find and browse books effectively on a library shelf.
Locating Research Guides
The quickest way of locating research guides from your library is to go to Google and type the following:
"research guides" AND "name of your school"
Use AND to search for all the search terms you specify and quotation marks (“…”) around phrases.
Many large universities have multiple libraries (law, medicine, art, etc.) So, you may need to specify the name of the library. The following video shows an example of searching for research guides on the main page of the New York University Libraries.
Find a Subject Librarian
Subject librarians work in specific academic areas, like psychology, history, or economics. They help choose and order books, journals, and databases that support those subjects. They also create helpful research guides with lists of the best resources for your topic.
While subject librarians can show you the best tools and databases to use, help you develop search strategies, and point you to relevant materials, they won’t read the books or articles for you or tell you exactly which ones to cite. That part is up to you, because you’re the one developing the argument and interpreting the information.
Google Library Links
Google Scholar is an important academic research database. However, while some resources found with Google Scholar are freely available, most require a subscription or payment. Google Scholar Library Links are customized to provide links to electronic journal holdings and other resources available in participating academic libraries.
You can check to see if your library participates in the Google Scholar Library Links program by doing the following:
- Go to Google Scholar and click the menu bar at the top left of the screen.
- Choose Settings > Library Links from the left navigation.
- In the search box, type the name of your school.
When using your library’s resources on campus, Google Scholar links are usually set up to link to your subscription resources. However, if you are off campus, you may need to set up Library Links manually. Choose your library from the list given and click Save. The following quick video shows the process.
After you set up Google Scholar, you’ll see Find full-text@ links to the right of the results as seen below. Some links are hidden at the bottom of the results and require you to click the blue double arrows underneath the citation to the right.
