Finding library materials in print formats (eg.books)
Library Catalogue - the key to finding books in the library. At present the library catalogue is available in the library only. Ask the Library Staff for assistance.
How to find the item you are looking for:
To be able to find what you need, it is important to first know about the kind of materials in the library, how they are classified and where they are located. The following list gives insight into this topic.
Reference Books = Room 3
Magazines and Papers = Room 1
Scientific Journals and Publications = New journals in Journal Rack, Room 1, Back issues = Room 3
Reports (gray literature) and Annuals = Room 3
Information about Organizations = Room 3
Videos, CDs and DVDs = Room 3
Books related to a topic/subject matter, area:
Look at the cataloguing list, hanging at every shelf and decide what category/categories your item would fit in.
Keep the given category number(s) in your mind (or write down) and go to the shelf with the indicated number.
Look at the books on this shelf and select the ones relevant to you. Do not place the books back onto the shelves, once you have removed them. If you find books that are wrongly placed, take them out and place them on the shelf indicated for books to be put back by library staff.
Particular report/book for which you know the author or title, or for a report related to a topic/subject matter area:
Contact library staff and indicate the area required. Staff will run a search on the computer and indicate the location of the given reports to you.
Reports/Publications of a given Organization
Contact library staff. Staff will indicate the location of the given reports/boxes to you.
Using the Dewey Decimal Classification to find books
Books in the library are shelved in call number order using the Dewey Decimal Classification system. The Dewey Decimal Classification System divides all knowledge into ten main classes as follows:
000 Generalities. General Knowledge
100 Philosophy & Psychology
200 Religion
300 Social Sciences
400 Language & Linguistics
500 Pure Science
600 Technology (Applied Sciences)
700 The Arts
800 Literature & Rhetoric
900 Geography & Travel, Biography, History
Here is an example illustrating the hierarchical structure. If a user wants to find out books on Rice they should first locate the broad classification number for Applied Sciences: 600.
Within this broad discipline, then look at 630 which stands for Agriculture. Within 630, materials on Field crops are located at 633.
600 Technology (Applied Science)
630 Agriculture (General)
633 Field and plantation crops
633.1 Cereal grains
633.18 Rice
633.2 Forage crops (pastures and grasses)
In the above example books on specific types of crops will be shelved in ascending order from 633.1 to 633.8, and books specifically on rice will be shelved within cereal grains at 633.18.
Books by different authors on the same subject are shelved together in one place and are sub-arranged alphabetically by the surname of the author.
The library racks and shelves are marked showing different subject areas in Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) order. DDC breaks down topics from the broadest applications of each topic to its component parts, and its narrowest applications. The notation generally becomes longer as the topic becomes more specific.
Books are arranged on the shelves in ascending order from left to right in DDC order.