University of New Haven
300 Boston Post Road
West Haven
CT
06516
1-800 DIAL-UNH or 1-800-342-5864
Here we provide a brief introduction to using the Library Catalog and locating materials in the UNH Library.
The library Catalog is online at our home page at http://library.newhaven.edu/. Use ‘simple search’ and search by title, author (last name first -- e.g., smith, john), subject, etc. Note that you have to place the cursor in two different boxes.
The library catalog will tell you 1) if we have what you looked for 2) status - whether the item is charged out to anyone or on the shelf. 3) where it is located in the library, 4) the call number or other shelving system.
If it’s listed in the catalog, look for the status. If the status is 'Not charged', that means the item is not borrowed. You should be able to find it in the library. If not, come to the Circulation Desk and fill in a missing book slip. Staff will look for the book and notify you when it is found. 'Charged' means someone has borrowed the item. The catalog shows the due date, the date when the material is due back in the library. Place a hold if you want it next. Check the ‘Linked Resources’ tab in case it is also online.
It’s listed in the Catalog, and it’s ‘not charged’ - Where is it?
1) Check the ‘Linked Resources’ tab to see if it is online - if it is, you have it. Note, however, that some books might also be available in paper, and you might want to borrow the paper, and in that case, go to step 2.
Also, sometimes what you find online from the 'Linked Resources' tab is not a book, but helpful material like movie reviews, a table of contents, or a journal publisher’s web site, which indexes the journal.
2) Look for the library location, and then for call number or other filing system.
3) Look for call number. This tells you how we file them on the shelf in that location. For books in the circulating and reference collections, we use the Library of Congress (LC) Classification system, which arranges items by subject, or topic. So look in the same area on the shelf for other books on or related to your topic. LC is used by most academic libraries in the U.S. LC uses numbers and letters to arrange items on the shelf. A comes before AC, D before F, K 105 U2 before K143 U2, something published in 1995 comes before 2003, etc. AE5 K105 KF105 KF135 Z
E363 E363 A47 A47 A32 253
1990 2003
Circulation Stacks. Books that may be borrowed are shelved on the entry level to top floor. You need the call number to locate a book. Look for call number ranges on the doors leading to the stacks (bookshelves), and on the labels at the top of the bookshelves.
Circulating A-E659: Entry level.
Circulating E660-HT: Intermediate level.
Circulating HV-PN999 & PN1000-Z: Upper level.
Course Reserve. Ask at the Circulation Desk.
Government Documents. Check to see if they are online at the ‘Linked Resources’ tab. Some are online only. If not, or if you want to borrow the 100 page paper document, even if it is online, come to the Information Desk, fill in a request form and someone will get the document for you. You can borrow it with your UNH ID.
Microform Room. On the entry level. All microfilm and microfiche are here, except government documents fiche – request those at the Information Desk. Microfilm/microfiche Readers are also kept here. Ask at the Circulation Desk for assistance getting the microfilm or microfiche you want and assistance using the equipment. There is no charge to make copies.
Journals Collection. Lower level. Periodicals are shelved alphabetically by title. Ignore ‘the’, ‘a’, and ‘an’ at the beginning of titles.
Permanent Reserve. Ask for these at the Circulation Desk.
Reference. Reference A-Z call numbers are on the entry level as you enter, and continue on the shelves through the glass doors. Notes in the catalog’s holding record let you know if the item is kept near the Information Desk, on an index table, or against the wall. Reference materials may be used in the Library, not borrowed.