Curtin University Library

InfoTrekk main menu

Trek 1:
Analysing your topic

Trek 2:
Finding keywords

Trek 3:
Understanding your reading list

Trek 4:
Using the library catalogue 1

Trek 6:
Finding journal articles

Trek 7:
Searching the WWW

Trek 8:
Evaluating resources

Trek 9:
Referencing

Trek 10:
Using library services from home

 

 

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This Trek follows on from Trek 4, but this time we will focus on searching a library catalogue when you don't have a reading list.

Searching a catalogue for a subject
What are subject headings?
Finding different types of resources
Helpful hints

InfoTrekker Quiz 5     

Link to Curtin Library Catalogue

   

   

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Searching a catalogue for a subject

When you start to look for resources on a subject, you need to remember what you learned in Trek 2: Finding keywords. Thinking of alternative keywords for your subject means that you will be more likely to find all that the library offers on that subject.

For example, you may want to find resources on "global warming", but you could also search using the alternative term "greenhouse effect" to get more results.

If we do a Keywords search for "global warming" in the Curtin Library catalogue, we will find over 50 titles. But if we are really interested in the economic effects of global warming we can add the term "economics" to narrow the search:

global warming     economics

The catalogue will then look for all items with the terms "global warming" AND (as well as) "economics". This will result in fewer titles, but they are more likely to be closer to what we want. If we narrow our search too far, and don't get enough results, we need to broaden the search again - just use "global warming" or try some alternative keywords. For example:

greenhouse effect   economics

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What are subject headings?

Subject headings are used to describe the contents of a book. They are very useful for checking to see if the book is going to cover the topic you are researching.
Here are some catalogue details for a book on global warming:

Title   The economics of global warming/ edited by Tom Tietenberg
Publisher  Cheltenham, UK; Brookfield, Vt., US: E Elgar Pub., 1997.

Shelf Location  Check availability

Subject Heading    Air--Pollution--Economic aspects
Subject Heading   Global warming--Economic aspects
Subject Heading   Greenhouse effect, Atmospheric-- Economic aspects
Subject Heading   Air--Pollution--Taxation
Description:   xxii, 624p
Series:   The international library of critical writings in economics; 74
Other Author(s):  Tietenberg, Thomas H.

If you look at this information, you can find many details about the book; it was published in the UK and the US in 1997, it has 624 pages and is part of a series on economics. You can also see that next to Subject Heading(s):  there are several subject headings, including:

Air--Pollution--Economic aspects.
Global warming--Economic aspects.

These can help you decide whether you want to read this book, AND can give you other useful terms to use when searching the catalogue.

Library catalogues also give you a Subject search option, but to search by Subject or Subject/Keywords, you will need to know the exact form of the Library of Congress Subject Heading for your topic. Most people do a Keyword search, find one good book using this method, look at the Subject Headings, click on a relevant one or do another Subject or Subject/Keyword search on this term to find more items. Librarians can help you.

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Finding different types of resources

Sometimes you need to find a DVD, videorecording, map or kit on a subject, rather than a book.

In a Keywords search in the Curtin Library catalogue, you can add a term to find items in a specific format.

For example, to search for videos about global warming you can type the terms:

global warming   videorecording

This will give you a list of videos on global warming.

Other search terms you can use for types of material are:

DVD
computer file  (for CD Roms)
kit   (usually for educational games)
slide  (for slide sets)
map
periodicals  (for journals)

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Helpful hints

• As you go through a list of titles, remember to check the Shelf Number (and the floor level if the item is at the Robertson Library) of any items that look interesting.
• Curtin Library uses the American Library of Congress Subject Headings, so the spelling of Subjects is American rather than Australian or English - for example "color", "labor", "pediatrics", "organizational" or "encyclopedia".
• It is sometimes helpful to see if the author of a text on your reading list has written other books on the same subject. You can click on the Author's name or search by Author to find out.
• Library catalogues are not easy to use at first, so always ask for help from library staff if you can't find what you want. At Curtin, you can telephone the Enquiries Desk on (08) 9266 7166 during library opening hours, send us your questions via email, the AskOnline chat service, or if you are in any Curtin library, ask staff for advice.

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InfoTrekker Quiz 5
or
InfoTrekker Quiz 5 (text version)

Try our Quiz to test your knowledge of what has been covered in Trek 5.

You can then go on to one of the most important topics in InfoTrekk, Trek 6: Finding journal articles or practice on the Curtin Library catalogue and link to some more detailed guides below.

Link to:
Curtin Library Catalogue

Step-by-Step Guide: Curtin Library Catalogue

View-it tutorial: Curtin Library Catalogue

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