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POL 339 - Youth Politics

Introduction

This page will help you navigate Milner's library catalog, in order to find book resources for your paper. I recommend using the "Advanced Search" feature when searching the catalog, rather than the Basic Search. You can get to the Advanced Search by clicking on the top link in the box below, or by starting at the Milner Library Homepage. Once you're there, click the "Milner Catalog" tab on the main search box, then click "Advanced Search" in the bottom of the box.

Image of Milner search box with Milner Catalog selected

            


Once you're at the advanced search, enter your keywords into the different search boxes. You can make your search even more specific, by clicking a specific format you're looking for in the catalog. For example, if you only wanted books to come back in your results, you could scroll until you found the book icon, and check the box. You can do this for any kind of format, which also includes, DVDs, print journals, manuscripts, and all kinds of other items we have at Milner.

 

In the boxes below, you will find short tutorials to help you navigate other features of Milner Library. If you try out all the described features and you're still not finding the content you need, feel free to Ask a Librarian or contact me for more assistance. If there are parts of the video that are too small to see, there is an option to enlarge the box to a full screen view.

Finding Books

Requesting books from other libraries

Call Number Ranges to Browse

Due to the broad range of issues you could pick for your research paper, you may need to pick books within a variety of subjects. Sometimes it can be tricky to tell if a book is REALLY discussing the issue you're searching for from the appropriate perspective without having to go and pick up the book.

However, there are some library tricks to tell from the catalog record whether you're looking at a resource that will actually help you. One of those tricks is to look at the book's call number. Call numbers are the unique identification number assigned to a book that tells library staff where it belongs on the shelf. Call numbers are created based on a book's subject, so if you know what the call number is for a book you'll know what the book is mostly about.

For example, you could have two books that deal with youth culture as it relates to drug abuse with similar, nondescript titles. One book might look at that topic from a criminal justice perspective (the call number would start with HV) and the other might look at the issue from a sociological/cultural perspective (the call number would start with HM or HQ).

In the chart below, I'm listing some call number ranges that might intersect with your research topics. Hopefully this will help clarify when looking in the catalog.

Call Number Classification

Subject(s) Associated
B (BL-BX) Philosophy (Religion)
E-F American History
HM-HN Sociology, Social Reform
HQ Family, Women & Gender Studies
HT

Class/Race

HV Social Deviance, Criminology
J Political Science
K Law/Legal
L Education
PN (PS) General Literature (American Literature)
Q-R Science, Medicine

Social Sciences Librarian

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Grace Allbaugh
Contact:
Milner Room 415
Please use the "Book Appointment" button above to make an appointment.
(309) 438-5313