- The Library Catalogue is the key to searching for various print or electronic resources available from the Library.
- Course Reserve allows easy access to course reading list items held by the Library.
- Always check the status of an item is 'Available' before trying to find it in the Libary.
The Library Catalogue
After we had a look around the Library, I went straight to a library information skills session on 'Using the Library Catalogue'. The librarian demonstrated how to search the catalogue, and explained the difference between a book, a journal and the various non-book items. I got lots of tips on how to do searches, applying limits, and even linking through to the full text of ebooks and electronic articles.
Like everyone else, I was keen to explore the catalogue to locate information on the first assignment. Let's face it, there are heaps of students at UNSW@ADFA with course reading lists, so being organised early is a good idea. Luckily, the library information skills session included a demonstration on how you place a request on an item that is out on loan.
The catalogue is an important search tool because it covers not only all materials held in the Academy Library collection, but also electronic material the Library subscribes to. The catalogue provides descriptions of items, their physical location and call number, and their status (e.g. 'Available', 'On loan', etc.). The librarian says we should check to see if an item is available before setting off to the shelves. We just need to look at the 'Status' section on the record's holdings screen. If it says that there are 'Multiple holdings', then you need to go into the full view of the record for the different locations and their status details.
The electronic Course Reserve facility, available using the catalogue or via the Library homepage, helps you locate major course reading list items. The easiest way to search it is by using the Course Code e.g. ZHSS2002. Most items listed in Course Reserve are either electronic or they are available on short loan (either 2 hours, 1 day, or 3 days).
The Academy Library's gateway to electronic resources is called CrossSearch. It serves as a library portal to electronic resources. I'll write more on this later but I wanted to note it as we were told that it is a useful tool for searching lots of databases all at the same time.
For now, I have to sort out the different call numbers retrieved by my catalogue searches. There must be some order or method in locating all these materials.
