Library Orientation

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Using the library catalog
by Mrs. Huang
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ND Library Catalog
Search term(s)
Your choice
Your choices
Research Databases
Research databases
Advanced Search
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Advanced Search
Boolean operators
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Catalog Search Result
Call Number
Circulation Status
Globe iconweb site (no call number)
Level of relevancy
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This is a website, not a book.
Click here to go to the website directly
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Keyword vs. Subject Searching
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Keyword Searching

• will find the word you type in any field of the
  record including author, title, subject heading,
  publisher and notes.

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Keyword Searching

• May retrieve irrelevant records
• Best used when unsure of subject heading

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Keyword Searching

• May retrieve irrelevant record

Search for AIDS, the disease
irrelevant
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Keyword Searching

• May retrieve irrelevant record

Since the word aids is found, this record is
retrieved although it is not about the disease
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Subject Searching

• A subject is a category or topic assigned to a
  book or article when it is placed in a database
• high degree of relevancy

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Subject Searching

• using subject headings will find the word(s) you
  type in the subject field only
• high degree of relevancy

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Subject Searching
How to find out what subject terms to use?

• Do a keyword search first
• From your search result, find a book (article)
  that is relevant to your topic
• Check its subject field to see what terms are
  assigned to this topic.

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Subject Searching
From the subject field, you know what subject
terms have been assigned to this topic
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Subject Searching
Now, with a new search, you can specify the
term(s) as Subject Words
Any irrelevant books, such as teaching aids
will be excluded.
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Primary Source

• A work that was created during the time under
  study.
• Original, uninterpreted info
• For example letters, manuscript, diaries,
  speeches, interviews, autobiographies

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Secondary Source

• A work that interprets or analyzes an historical
  event or phenomenon.
• Secondary sources may have pictures, quotes or
  graphics of primary sources in them.
• For example Textbooks, encyclopedias 
• Biographical works

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Primary vs. Secondary Sources

• You can think of secondary sources as second-hand
  information.
• If I tell you something, I am the primary source.
  
• If you tell someone else what I told you, you are
  the secondary source.

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• Questions?