FALL & SPRING SEMESTERS

SUMMER SESSION

Telephone Numbers

FALL AND SPRING SEMESTERS

SUMMER SESSION

Telephone Numbers

Intersession and Summer have limited service. Call for details.

THE COLLECTION

The libraries of the Rancho Santiago Community College District have approximately 66,857 volumes, 340 current periodical subscriptions, and a growing array of electronic resources.

COMPUTER WORKSTATIONS

• Computers in the network are for legitimate academic purposes only.
• Social email, chatting, and game playing on district computers is not permitted and could result in temporary loss of computing privileges.
• Printing from the network is available with the purchase of a copy card. Downloading is free.

LAPTOPS
Laptops can be checked out for in-library use only for two (2) hours from the Periodicals Department. Laptops support word processing, provide access to electronic databases, internet, and email. Printing is available from the laptops as well.

COPY CARDS
Photocopies cost ten cents per page. Copy cards can be purchased from the vendacard dispenser located in the Periodicals Copy Center & in the Reference area. A Change Machine for $1 bills is available in the Copy Center.

ACCESS FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES
Two workstations with the following software are available to students with disabilities:

• JAWS for Windows is a screen reader designed for the blind computer user. It converts text to speech and can be used with many Windows applications including word processing, email etc.

• Kurzweil 1000 Scan & Read converts printed material into speech for the blind computer user.

• Kurzweil 3000 Scan & Read is a scanning and reading software combined with study skills features for the Learning Disabled or ESL computer user. It converts printed material to text and graphics allowing the Learning Disabled or ESL student to read the scanned image.

• ZoomText Screen Magnification is designed for the low-vision computer user.

• Naturally Speaking Voice Recognition allows the computer user to create, edit, and revise documents, email, and surf the Web entirely by voice.

APPROPRIATE USE OF THE LIBRARY
Acceptable standards of behavior are expected of all library users.

• Eating, drinking, smoking, and cell phone usage are prohibited in the library.

• Talking is prohibited in areas designated as “quiet study areas”.

GUIDELINES FOR USE OF THE GROUP STUDY ROOMS
The Nealley Library has two group study rooms, L112-3 and L-109, which are available for groups of two or more students. The rooms may be reserved for a maximum of 1.5 hours per group on a first-come/first-serve basis. A sign up sheet is available at the Reference Desk. Your reservation is forfeited if members of your group do not arrive within the first ten minutes of your scheduled time.

REFERENCE DEPARTMENT

Reference librarians are available during all hours that the library is open.

The librarians can answer questions and provide in-depth assistance with assignments.

Instruction on the use of the library and its resources is available to faculty and their classes on a pre-arranged basis by contacting the Coordinator of Library Instruction, Luis Pedroza at x6707.

CIRCULATION/RESERVES DEPARTMENT

Library material may be checked out, returned, or placed on "hold" at this public service desk. There is no charge for placing a book on "hold." Books will be held for six days and you will be notified by mail.

BORROWER QUALIFICATIONS

• To borrow materials, a student must show an RSCCD photo ID or a photo ID combined with a current semester fee receipt to the staff at the Circulation Desk.
• Staff and faculty must present a current staff identification card.
• Community members living or working within district boundaries may apply for a community member library card. The applicant must be 18 years of age and provide a photo ID and a letter or bill currently postmarked as proof of their current address.

RECIPROCAL AGREEMENTS WITH OTHER LIBRARIES
RSCCD students also have borrowing privileges at the following libraries:

Santiago Canyon College and Santa Ana College Libraries
Santa Ana Public Library
California State University, Long Beach Library

RESERVES
Instructors may place items such as books, sample tests, and videos on reserve for individual class assignments. These items are held at the Circulation/ Reserve Desk. A qualified student borrower may check out Reserve materials. Loan periods are determined by the instructor.

TAKE HOME LIMITS
A student may have a maximum of 15 items checked out at one time.

LOAN PERIODS/RENEWALS
Loan periods vary. A summary follows:

Books that circulate for three weeks may be renewed for an additional week by presenting the book in person, up to three times, if not reserved.

OVERDUE FINES
A fine of ten cents ($0.10) per day is charged for overdue books and magazines, twenty-five cents ($0.25) per hour for reserve items and fifty cents ($0.50) per day for Best Sellers, CDs, and videos.

The LIBRARY CATALOG
The Library Catalog provides access to the book, periodical, and media collections of the Santa Ana College Library.

Begin your search at the Library Homepage.
Single click on the Library Catalog link.

The Library Catalog can be searched by:

• Basic Search

• Advanced Search

• Course Reserve

Single click on the Basic Search button to open up the database.

To execute a SUBJECT search, type your topic in the dialog box and press <enter> or click the search button.
In this example, the subject JOB HUNTING was entered.

The catalog retrieved over 100 items on JOB HUNTING on line 1. Click on the link to retrieve the Titles List.

Select the following title from the list: "100 top internet job sites : get wired, get hired in today's new job market."

Complete bibliographic information for the book Job Search Secrets as well as the book's location, call number, and status are provided.
The call number is HF5382.7 A25 2000.
Write down the call number and look for it on the shelf in the location: Main Stacks.

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM
The Library of Congress Classification System arranges material by subject. The books are shelved alphabetically according to this system. The following outline shows the broad subject classes.

Library of Congress Classification System Outline

LOCATING LIBRARY MATERIALS

Each book is given a call number consisting of a combination of letters and numbers. The call number is located on the spine of the book and is the book's address. In the Library of Congress Classification System, a typical call number has three parts. The first part identifies the book by broad subject discipline. The second part represents a sub-category of the discipline and the third part identifies the author.

For instance, using the call number QE 538.8 .H47 1995, the Q represents the broad discipline of science, while QE represents geology, a branch of science. 538.8 is a numerical code which represents earthquake prediction. .H47 identifies the author's last name. 1995 is the year of publication.

Most books in the collection stand together on shelves referred to as the MAIN BOOK STACKS. If the highlighted call number on the catalog screen reads:

the book will have a label on the spine that reads:

Some books stand in special areas like REFERENCE, OVERSIZE, and CHILDREN'S BOOKS. Books that are not in the MAIN BOOK STACKS carry their special collection codes on their spine labels. For example:

Books are arranged alphabetically by the classification letters. Single letters come before double letters. So LB comes after L and before LC. Within a letter combination, books are sub-arranged numerically by classification number. So, LB 309 comes before LB 3051. Books are then arranged by a letter and number which is a decimal number. So, .D57 comes before .D9.

Ask at the Reference Desk if you need assistance determining the correct subject heading.

PERIODICALS DEPARTMENT

A periodical is a publication that is issued more than once a year on a fixed schedule. Examples of periodicals include popular magazines, scholarly journals, and newspapers. Periodicals are important because they publish the most current information on a topic.

Requests for specific issues of a magazine or newspaper can be made at the public service counter of the Periodicals Department. Five periodicals can be requested at one time.

Older periodicals are available on microfilm or microfiche. Microform readers and printers are available for your use and have the capability of scanning a document into a pc for downloading to a formatted diskette or emailing. Printing is also available and the charge is ten (10) cents per page.

TYPES OF PERIODICALS

1. Popular magazines are written for the general public. The articles are short, use simple language, and lack depth. Heavily illustrated, they often promote a viewpoint or bias and rarely cite their sources. They are read for entertainment.
   Examples include People Weekly, Sports Illustrated, Vogue.

2. News magazines are a category of the popular magazine. Written for a broad audience of educated readers, their main purpose is to provide unbiased information on current events and issues. The articles are authoritative, often written by experts, specialists or freelance writers who have expertise on a topic.
   Examples include Newsweek, Consumer Reports, Psychology Today, National Geographic.

3. Opinion periodicals constitute another category of the popular magazine. The topics they address are highly controversial and the authors often write to persuade. However, these publications are appropriate for debates and research papers supporting a particular point of view.
   Examples include the Progressive, Commonweal, National Review, Christian Century.

4. Scholarly journals are serious publications written by researchers, academics, and experts for specialists and scholars. The articles report on original research such as psychological analysis, comparison studies, case studies, and new interpretations of previously published data. The language is technical, the articles are long, and the authors always cite their sources. Often published by a professional society or university press, each document goes through a peer review process prior to publication.
   Examples include Journal of the American Medical Association, Harvard Business Review.

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SOURCES

Primary sources are original documents such as diaries, speeches, letters, minutes, interviews, autobiographies, and official records; creative works such as poetry, drama, novels, music, art; and relics or artifacts such as jewelry, pottery, furniture, clothing, buildings. A primary source also consists of evidence written or created during the time under study offering an inside view of a particular event. Examples of primary sources include the Diary of Anne Frank, the Declaration of Independence, or actual arrowheads and pottery from American Indian history.

Secondary sources interpret, analyze, and critique primary sources. They are one step removed from the event. Examples include books about the effects of World War I, journal articles which interpret someone's research, textbooks, and encyclopedias.

PERIODICAL DATABASES

Periodical databases locate the magazines and journals that contain articles on a particular subject. The electronic indexes scan full-text documents and display the citations that match your search query. The Nealley Library subscribes to databases in many different subject areas in both print and electronic format.

Other Electronic Resources:

Electronic encyclopedias, dictionaries, almanacs, full text literary sources (MagillOnLiterature, MagillOnAuthors, Literature Resource Center, Scribner's Writers Series), maps, atlases, statistical sources, and style manuals are available from the Nealley Library Home page at the "Reference Shelf" link. Access to indexes and other electronic resources is now available remotely from your home or office. For instructions, see the “Search articles from home” link on the Library Home page.

CRITICALLY ANALYZING INFORMATION SOURCES

Analyze the Bibliographic Citation

You can initially appraise a source by examining the bibliographic citation. A bibliographic citation is a written description of a book, periodical article, or website. Bibliographic citations characteristically have 3 main components: author(s), title, and publication information.

Learning how to quickly determine the relevance and authority of a given resource is one of the core skills of the research process.

Authority
What are the author's qualifications?
Is the document written on a topic in the author's area of expertise?
Is the author affiliated with an institution?
How reputable is the publisher?

Accuracy
Does the article cite its sources?
Are the conclusions justified and supported by evidence?
Is the information reliable and free of error?

Comprehensiveness
Are discussions of the article available by other authors?
How reliable and free from error is the information?
Are the topics explored in depth?
Does the information appear to be valid and well-researched?
Does the work update other sources?
Is the information useful or repetitious?

Validity
Does the author inform or persuade?
Is the language free of emotion-rousing words or bias?
Does the author express a particular point of view?

Ease of use
Is the resource organized logically?
Are the main points clearly presented?
Is the author's argument repetitive?

A GLOSSARY OF LIBRARY TERMS

Bibliographic Citation
The screen of the Library Catalog that provides a detailed description of an item and constitutes the information used in compiling a bibliography or Works Cited page is called the bibliographic citation.

Call Number
Also known as the book's address, it consists of letters and numbers located on the spine of the book.

Circulation / Reserve Desk
Public services desk where books, media and pamphlets can be checked out, returned or placed on hold. Reserve items and Front Desk Books are kept here.

Front Desk Books
This designation refers to books located behind the Circulation/Reserve Desk.

Holding Information Screen
The screen in the Online Catalog that provides the author, title, call number, availability, and location of an item listed in the Library Catalog.

Library Catalog
A database that provides access to books, CDs, pamphlets, and videos owned by both college libraries of the Rancho Santiago Community College District.

Library of Congress Classification System

Main Book Stacks
The circulating collection is shelved here. These books can be checked out.

Oversize books
The location designation given to books which are too big for the regular shelves.

Periodicals
Publications which appear on a regular basis such as daily newspapers, weekly magazines.

Periodicals Desk
Public service desk where periodicals are requested, checked out, and returned.

Periodicals Index
A research tool that provides topical access to magazine, journal, and newspaper articles.

Reserve Materials
Materials placed on hold for a class by a faculty member are shelved at the Circulation / Reserve Desk. Loan periods for these materials are determined by the instructor.

Page URL: http://www.sac.edu/students/library/nealley/info/libhandbook.htm