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English - Reading Enhancement -0113: Books

Library Accounts

To check out items at NSU Libraries, the Information Desk is located on the 1st floor, north entrance of the John Vaughan Library. The Information Desk contact phone number is 918-444-3235.

Undergraduate Loan Periods for check out items:
Three Weeks - for items from the Main Collection, Y Collection, Government Publications, and Curriculum Materials
One Week - for Audio Visual items (CDs or DVDs)
Library Use only - Periodicals, Newspapers, Magazines, and Reference materials
Special Collections' items are non-circulating and must be used in Special Collections
Reserve Collection - Varies (check with the Information Desk for specifics)

Number of items that can be checked out at one time:
Undergraduate Students: 15

Print Limits:
Students are provided a 100 page print limit in the library at the start of each semester. Any additional pages can be purchased at the Information Desk.

Author Search

The Author search locates all items written or co-authored by that author in the library's collections. From the Library Home page, select the "Books & Media" tab at the top of the main library page and select "Author" from the drop down menu.

Tip: Enter the author's name in the search box and click search.
Example names:
Frost, Robert or Robert Frost
Collins, Suzanne or Suzanne Collins
Korman, Gordon or Gordon Korman

Tip: If the author's name is similar to another author's name, provide the middle name initial.
Ex: Smith, James D or Smith, James F
EX: James D Smith or James F Smith

Tip: Some author's names and middle initials are the same. If the middle name is given use it, if not generally a quick review of the book titles will determine which author is correct. 
Ex: Smith, James Perrin or Smith, James P
EX: James Perrin Smith or James P Smith

Tip: When searching for Latin names using the Library Catalog at NSU Libraries, they can differ in the way they are searched. However, when searching through the database WorldCat (OCLC), it will search for words and will return results. 
Ex: Garcilaso de la Vega would be entered as: Vega, Garcilaso de la
Ex: Mario Vargas Llosa would be entered as: Vargas Llosa, Mario
Ex: Juana Ines de la Cruz would be entered as written, without changing the wording.
Ex: Federico Garcia Lorca would be entered as Garcia Lorca, Federico
Ex: Pedro Calderon de la Barca would be entered as Calderon de la Barca, Pedro

Keyword Search

Many systems, like databases, library catalogs online, and Google, default to the "Keyword" search, which uses "natural language" or words. This term or set of terms can appear anywhere or any field in a record, such as title, author, subject, note, etc. The meaning of the words are not considered. For example, the terms "heavy metal" could pull results related to music or related to soil content. Here are some basic tips on how to use the Keyword search.

Tip: Used the Keyword search to combine an author and keywords in a title of his or her work. For example, for information about the poem, "Mending Wall", by Robert Frost, or the fiction novel, House of the Spirits, by Isabel Allende, combine the author's last name and a keyword of the title of the work. Note: The names are not case sensitive. Additionally, the search may pull other non-related titles if the terms entered appear in the item record.
Ex: Frost and Mending
Ex: Cormier and Chocolate

Title Search

If you know the title to a book, use the "Title" search option. This search option will pull all records with that title listed in the NSU Libraries collections. For example, if there are several editions of the title in the collection under the same title, these records will be retrieved using the title search.

Example Title: MLA Handbook

There are multiple library records for this title for the 8th, and 9th edition. Review the records to determine which one you need. If you only have a few words in the title, the system will search for any titles with those words.

Classification (Call numbers)

The Y Collection uses the Dewey Decimal Classification System, which is commonly used by school and public libraries. (See example below of the Dewey Decimal call number  for the book, Chocolate War and call number F C813c 2004. This book is located in the JV Library's Y Collection.

In the JV Library, the books in the Y Collection will have the collection indicated by Y Coll. and then the call number for that item. 

Ex: Y Coll. F C813c 2004

B = Biographies (organized by the biographer's last name)
E = Easy reading or picture books
F = Fiction (in alphabetical order by author's last name)

Nonfiction

 000    Generalities
 100    Philosophy & Psychology
 200    Religion
 300    Social Sciences
 400    Language
 500    Natural Sciences & Mathematics
 600    Technology (Applied Sciences, including Medicine)
 700    The Fine Arts
 796    Sports
 800    Literature & Rhetoric
 900    Geography & History