Using a Library 1. Borrowing books Consult the catalogue to check the book is【T1】________ Cards placed in alphabetic

Using a library
    The uses of student makes of his college library may be summarized under three broad headings, borrowing books, consulting, reference materials and general study. In this lecture, we shall examine various aspects of these activities with a view to helping the student to use his library more easily and more efficiently.
    First of all, then borrowing books. Let’s assume a student has been given the author and title of a certain book, which he’s been told to read. As soon as he gets to the library, he should check that the book is in stock. In order to do this, he’ll have to consult catalog as he has the name of the author. It’ll be easiest to use the author or name catalog. This consists of a list of books entered on cards in alphabetical order under the name of the author. The book’s call number, that’s to say the number which identifies the book, normally consists of two parts.
    The first part is the class number. It’s the number that tells you in which subject area the book lies. Another number is for the author. It gives the number relevant to that specific author and that particular book. While the class number tells the student which general area in the library to go to in order to find the book, the author number will direct him to the exact shelf.
    The second broad use a student may make of his library. His consulting reference materials, in addition to the lending section and academic library, always has a reference section. Three important types of materials in this section are books which were planned and written to be referred to for pieces of information. Rather than to be read completely, examples of such books include dictionaries, bibliographies and encyclopedias, books which are valuable or difficult to replace. An example would be an old edition of a book. Of which the library has only a single copy, which is out of print, but which is referred to by a regular number of students each year, professional journals or periodicals. When a student is writing a dissertation or doing a piece of research, then he will need to consult a specialized bibliography.
    This is a book which lists all the published materials on a particular subject. And in some cases gives a brief summary of each item. Very recent research, however, may not appear in a bibliography, and the students should therefore always consult the relevant professional journals or periodicals.
    Finally, the library provides a suitable working environment for general study. A student can consult one of the reference books or perhaps even a fellow student when he meets an unexpected problem in his work. He can also have a chat with his fellow students. In his breaks. However, students can, if they’re not careful, make the library a social center.
    Rather than a study center to prevent this, it’s wise to set daily targets as regards work. In this way, one can take any necessary breaks and still complete what has to be finished. It’s all a question of balance and of self-discipline with a little common sense, study can be both efficient and pleasant.