Assignment #3

FINDING BOOKS: USING THE PLS WEB PAC
& THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOG

Due: February 15
Special reminder: Please remember to attend the class meeting on Tuesday, February 15 (6:30 - 9:30)

Reading:

1. a. Name same general subject you searched for in assignments #1 and 2.
b. Using the Subject search mode of the Library of Congress catalog
(http://catalog.loc.gov/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?DB=local&PAGE=hbSearch), make a list of several possible subject headings under which you might find books related to your topic. Look for:

c. Save at least one page listing official subject headings related to your research subject. Save this file as a text file with the file name: 3-1.txt (If you save more than one page, name the first page: 3-1a.txt and the following: 3-1b.txt, etc.) [Optional: Instead of using the LC Web catalog, you can use the Library of Congress Subject Headings books (available at most libraries) and make photocopies of the relevant pages to be delivered or faxed to me.]

d. From the subject headings you found on the LC Web catalog, list some of the headings that seem most relevant and/or interesting to you for possible further research.

 

For questions 2, 3 & 4 below, use:
PLS WebPAC (Public Access Catalog) - available on the World Wide Web at: http://plsinfo.org/plsclient.html

2. Do a subject keyword search for one of the subject headings you've listed to find books on this subject in any PLS library .

a) How many books are listed under subject headings containing your keyword(s)?

Choose one of the books you found and list:

b) the subject heading under which you found it:

c) author:

d) title:

e) city of publication, publisher & publication date:

f) any other subject headings under which this book is listed
(if no other subject headings are assigned to this book, try to find another book on your subject):

g) the name of one PLS library that has it:

h) call number:

3. Click on one of the subject headings for the book you chose (other than the heading under which you found it)

a) Name the subject heading you selected:

b) Was this subject heading one of those you found in the Library of Congress Subject search?

c) How many books are listed under this subject heading?

Choose one of the books you found and list:

d) author:

e) title:

f) city of publication, publisher & publication date:

g) the name of one PLS library that has it:

h) call number:


4. Limit your previous search to try to find at least one book listed for the same subject heading in Skyline Library.

a) How many books in Skyline Library are listed under this subject heading?
(If there are no books on this subject heading at Skyline, go back, try another heading and name the new subject heading you used.)

Choose one of the books you found and list:

b) author:

c) title:

d) city of publication, publisher & publication date:

e) any other subject headings under which this book is listed:

f) call number:
 

5. (Note: For your convenience, you may wait to complete this question until the class meeting on February 15.)
Go to Skyline Library and try to find the book you listed in #4 (or, if it is not available try to find another book on a related subject.) Check to see if the book has an index and/or table of contents. Use the index or table of contents to find a section of the book that deals with a more specific topic on which you might want to focus for a research paper. Photocopy a page from the section and underline or circle an interesting idea. Deliver or fax the photocopy to me.


6. COMPARISON

a. How did the process of finding books on a topic in the PLS Web PAC catalog compare to the process of finding articles on a topic in the InfoTrac Academic ASAP database ? What was similar? What was different?

b. How did the results of your search in the PLS Web PAC catalog compare to the results of your search in the InfoTrac Academic ASAP database?

c. After completing the first three assignments--using Britannica Online, InfoTrac Academic ASAP, the Library of Congress Subject catalog and PLS WebPAC--you've completed the "topic exploration" & "search preparation" stages of the research process. Assuming you were actually going to do a research project on the topic you've been researching, explain which of these four databases you found the most or least useful in terms of:



SUBMIT ASSIGNMENT

E-mail: your answers to: brenner@smcccd.cc.ca.us
Be sure to attach the file(s) for question 1c. Be sure you saved as a text file with the file name(s) specified above.

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last revised: 2-14-00 by Eric Brenner, Skyline College, San Bruno, CA

These materials may be used for educational purposes if you inform and credit the author and cite the source as: LSCI 105 Online Research. All commercial rights are reserved. Send comments or suggestions to: Eric Brenner at brenner@smcccd.cc.ca.us