Starting with the Library

The main purpose of a college library is to collect scholarly material on diverse topics to support your research. These materials come in various formats: print, microfilm, video, CDs, or online.

Library resources go through a review process.

Librarians select books, magazines, journals, databases and even Web sites based on national standards. This selection process allows the library to collect sources considered reliable, historically relevant, and valuable.

Library resources are organized.

Items in libraries are organized according to the Library of Congress classification system so you can easily find many sources on a topic. For example, when you search for a book in the library catalog you will find a call number. The call number will direct you to a specific area in the library. Other books near the same call number should cover a similar topic and may be useful to you.

Library resources come with personal assistance.

Unlike the Web, which is primarily do-it-yourself, libraries have professional staff who are educated to assist you in sorting through and evaluating all these information sources. They can help you learn to use new tools and research strategies and can answer questions you have. Personalized reference assistance is available via the reference desk, phone, email, or in-depth appointments.

Libraries have large collections of information on a variety of topics which have been carefully selected and organized. The key idea when using the library is that you are getting quality over quantity. Print or electronic library resources are the best sources to use when starting your research. You can efficiently find quality information from a variety of credible resources in the library.

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