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Basic Research Strategies: 2a. Find Books

This Guide will help you develop a topic, locate research materials, and create your composition.

E-Books

eBooks from EBSCO

Patrons of NETC Library have access to thousands of electronic books provided through EBSCO. While you're on campus, set up an account today!

Interlibrary Loan

If you come across a book you need for your research, and the Library does not own it, request it through our Interlibrary Loan (ILL) service.

ILL requests can take up to 2 weeks to process, but generally costs nothing.

Library of Congress Call Number Classification

The materials in the Northeastern Technical College Library are organized by the Library of Congress (LC) Classification System so that books/videos on similar subjects are shelved together. Each item is given a subject heading that corresponds to a call number which identifies the location of the item on a shelf. Call numbers consists of letters and numbers, and are arranged on the shelves in alphabetical and numerical order. For example, the call number for the book A History of Skiing in Colorado is GV854.5 .C6 F38 2000.

GV One or two letters represent a broad subject. These letters are not initials or an abbreviation for the subject. In this case, “GV” are the letters for Recreation and Leisure.

854.5 Numbers for a more specific subject within the broad category. In this case, the winter sport of downhill skiing.

.C6 The next line is referred to as the cutter number. Some books have two cutters, the first of which breaks down the subject area even further. In this case the "C" refers to Colorado.

F38 If the call number has a second cutter number, this represents the author or organizations’s name or the title of the work. In this case the author's last name is Fay.

2000 The date the book was published.

Items are arranged on the shelves from left to right, top to bottom within each section of shelving, according to call numbers. Call numbers are arranged in alphabetical order by class letters, and then numerically, as outlined below:

In general, call numbers are arranged first in alphabetical sequence...

AS AY B BF DC G GT PE RA T TX

...then in numerical sequence. Read the second line, or the first set of numbers, as a WHOLE number.

AS
23.6
AS
23.7
AS
123
AY
8
AY
12
AY
79

...then by a combination of alphabetical and decimal order on the third line. Subsequent lines with both letters and numbers are read alphabetically and then in decimal order; subsequent lines with only numbers are read as whole numbers. For example, correct call number order is shown below for a sampling of items:

LB
1075
C29
A342
2000
LB
1725
U55
A35
LB
1725
U6
B3
LB
1725
U63
1999
LB
1725.1
A5
2005
LB
1725.3
D5

 

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