Overview

Unit 21: Library and Reference Resources

Overview

Can you imagine a place that stores all the information in the world? Jorge Luis Borges imagined it. Borges, a blind poet who became director of Argentina's National Library, wrote a story called ”The Library of Babel.“ In the story, the Library of Babel contains all human knowledge. However, the information is useless because no one can figure out how it is organized and cannot find anything.

Fortunately, your school or public library is very well organized. Finding the information that you need or the story that you'd like to read is really very simple. All the books, newspapers, periodicals, audio CDs, and DVDs in a library are listed in a catalog. Many library catalogs are computerized, but some catalogs are made up of many cards. You can search the catalog for materials by title, author, or subject. In a computer catalog you can also search by keyword. A keyword is a word or a phrase that describes your topic.

When you find what you are looking for in the catalog, the item will have a call number. A call number is a short code that tells the subject of the book and also gives its physical location in the library. Each digit narrows down the topic and location. Now that you've found the call number, you're ready to find your book or other information source. Go to the stacks to find your items. The stacks are the bookshelves that hold most of a library's materials. You should present your items to the library staff at the circulation desk to check out any materials you want to take home.

Reference works like atlases, encyclopedias, and dictionaries can help you find facts quickly. An encyclopedia is a good place to get basic information on a topic quickly. An atlas is a collection of maps. Dictionaries provide words and their definitions. They might also present the history, pronunciation, synonyms, antonyms, and part of speech for each word or entry. There are many types of dictionaries, including unabridged dictionaries, desk or college dictionaries, and school dictionaries. A thesaurus is a special dictionary of synonyms (words with similar meanings). Reference works are often located in a special place in the library and usually cannot be taken home.

Libraries have one other very important resource: the librarian. The librarian is an expert with special training. He or she can help you use the library and find information or entertainment more efficiently. Librarians can help you discover the answers to even the most difficult questions.