To make sure how reading is still relevant, it is enough to come to any large library and find thousands and thousands of items in the catalogs. Wandering between the shelves can turn into Theseus' journey through the Cretan maze, if you do not know a few basic rules that will help you find the right path.
Instruction manual
1
Find out as much information as possible about the book you are interested in. First, write down the author’s last name and initials. If you remember only a couple of letters from his name, the librarian is unlikely to agree to solve the crossword with you and will offer to search for the "horse name" in the catalogs yourself. Be sure to write the year of publication of the desired book. If you are looking for educational literature, then the editions of different years can vary significantly. Some books have a number of authors. In the catalog, the book will most likely be assigned to the name of the one under whose publication it is published, but it is worth checking out also its co-authors.
2
Look for a book in one of the directories. Library catalogs come in many forms. In the alphabetical, all books are listed by the names of the authors, excluding the genre, theme or year of issue. In case you know only the title of the required publication, refer to the catalog of titles. It also has the alphabetical principle of arranging cards. A systematic catalog is best suited for those who only select the necessary literature on the topic. The basis of its construction is a library - bibliographic classification, according to which each topic is assigned an index of letters and numbers. A special table, which is in any directory hall, will help you navigate in the indices.
3
Use the electronic search. Technological progress has even affected sacred places such as libraries. Searching the electronic catalog is most convenient. It is enough to type in the special columns the name of the book and the name of the author, as you will find out about all the matches found and print out the completed request. Alas, not always electronic catalogs contain data about the entire library archive. Books that came to the fund before the 1990th year are not always entered into the computer database. So, if you can’t find the old book, go back to the old-fashioned way - manual search.
4
Seek help from librarians. They are much faster oriented in complex library indexes and can significantly speed up the search. In addition, the librarian will help you figure out exactly where the book is: whether it is available on a subscription, in the reading room or in storage. Librarians hear the names of some authors from students and graduate students for years and remember by heart the corresponding index.
note
Be careful about the timely return of the book. An electronic library card system allows you to track all violations, so that after several incidents the library doors may be closed to dishonest users.
Useful advice
Most libraries are connected by a common network of electronic information databases that are closed to a regular Internet user. Through a library computer, access to the databases can be obtained free of charge or for a small price.
