Locating
books on your topic is an effective way to find in depth information about
an issue you are researching. The MCC Library catalog is web based and can be searched using a browser such as Firefox, Internet
Explorer, Safari or SeaMonkey. When you open a browser on library computers the MCC
Library web page should automatically display.
Note:
If using computers in the library it is always best to use Firefox, especially for accessing WebCT.
Accessing the Library Catalog:
To search for books at a Mesa Community College library location, click the 'Library Catalog' link from our website's main page. Next select 'Mesa Community College Library' to identify materials at all MCC locations. If you take classes at Red Mountain, click the 'Library at Red Mountain' link to view results for resources available only at that facility.
To discover what resources are available from any of the libraries in our district click the catalog link labeled 'Maricopa Community College District Libraries'.
Familiar with our catalog?-
Use our 'Quick Book Search' from the main page to search MCC holdings only by keyword!
Searching
for books in the MCC Library Web Catalog:
There
are five types of searches available on our library catalog: Basic, Browse, Advanced, History and E-Books. The default search is Basic. This means you automatically perform a Basic search if you don't select another of the types. To identify books that meet your research needs be prepared to learn how to use the Basic, Browse and Advanced searches!
Summary of key Search types
Basic search-
- uses keywords to search for information on your topic
- defaults to a ‘General Keyword’ search that finds matching terms in 5 areas of the record
title, author, publisher, notes, subject
- presents a list of records that identify materials for the selected location
Browse Search -
- uses 'controlled vocabulary ' to search for information in specific categories (Subject, Title, Author)
- defaults to a ‘Subject’ search that matches terms searched to the exact subject in a record
- changes location to ‘all MCCCD libraries’ -
Careful - this happens
even if Mesa displays as the location
- presents a list of headings that identify number of items on that subject
Advanced Search -
-
uses multiple keywords to search for information on your topic
- Boolean operators – AND, OR, NOT are available to improve search results
- uses multiple limits to pinpoint specific types of results (from specific Locations, Material types, , Language and Date - e.g. Mesa CC, Text (electronic), Spanish, 2005)
More things to remember when searching our library catalog!
The library catalog:
is a database of bibliographic records.
lets you identify all the items a library physically houses in our buildings
include books, videos, periodicals (e.g. journals, magazines, newspapers, etc)
also contains records of over 20,000 electronic books (ebooks)
includes links to the full text of books, online videos and select web documents
does not search the full text of ebooks (that is available within ebook resources)
always select individual bibliographic records from a list of search results
You
reach a list of books and other library materials. Scan
the list until you find the entry you are interested in. When
you have identified the book you want, it is important that
you go to the individual bibliographic record for that book.
Take a quick look! View a snapshot of the bibliographic record for the book Patriot Act.
To locate a book in the library make sure to verify 4 things in the Copy/Holding information:
Location
Mesa CC Library, Mesa CC Red Mountain Library and Mesa CC Media are not the same place!
Our catalog includes records from all 10 of the district's colleges. At Mesa we have 2 campuses and other locations. Some locations only allow use in the library (e.g. Mesa CC Media items)!
Collection
Most items owned by the MCC Libraries are in 1 of 3 Collections (General, Reference or Juvenile). Because some items are very valuable they can't be checked out. (e.g. Special, Reference).
Call No.
The Call Numbers (No) listed in the catalog record also appear on the book. They allow users to find the book (or other types of items) on library shelves. Call Nos used by our Maricopa Community Colleges are from the Library
of Congress Classification System (LC). One of the
purposes of a library classification system is to arrange the materials
on the shelves in subject order. LC Call Nos begin with letters "A" through "Z" followed by numbers. They often include additional numbers and letters (e.g. Nutrition - RA784 .N83 1980 or Activities for school-age child care - LB1140.2 .A2).
Status
Checked In is the most 'user friendly' status used for our library holdings. It means the book is available for use. No matter what the Collection (General, Circulation Desk) or Location (Mesa CC or Mesa CC Red Mountain), if the status appears as 'Checked In' you can use the book's Call No and go the the shelf in that library to find that book.
If the Status for your book is Checked Out, look in the Due Date column to decide if you have the time to request the book be sent from another college location.
Several other designations exist so check with a library staff member for help understanding them.
Checking the full record will save
unnecessary trips to the shelf if a book is not currently available.
You
reach a screen that tells you nothing was found.
If your search produces no results for books at a specific location remember to try searching the other Maricopa Community College Libraries. Still no results? Don't despair.
Think about ways you can change your search. Were your search
terms spelled correctly? Is there another term that might be
more descriptive? Ask for help at the Reference Desk if you
are not finding what you need. You can also chat or speak with us directly (Elsner 480-461-7631; Red Mountain 480-654-7740) to get help!
Using
the MCC/Library of Congress Classification System
The
MCC Library uses the Library
of Congress Classification System for shelving books. One of the
purposes of a library classification system is to arrange the materials
on the shelves in subject order. The Library
of Congress Classification System follows a classification system
beginning with "A" and ending with "Z".
Other
Library Catalogs
If you do not find the book you need in one of the Maricopa Community College
Libraries, you may wish to look in another local library. Links to other
Arizona Libraries
may are available via the MCC Library Catalog page. When no area library owns a book MCC can borrow the title using a service called InterLibrary Loan (ILL). Speak with a Reference Librarian for help making such a request. If you've used ILL before go to the logon form and request a copy for your research.
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Rev 4/08
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