Your job today is to find a book in the library that would help your group better understand your topic. With over 400,000 books in Penrose, it might seem daunting to find a book in our collection for your research.
All of our books are in our catalog, Sherlock (the search box on our home page). Books are given descriptions and subject headings, sort of like tags, so even if the word you're searching isn't in the title, books related to that topic will still come up.
Try searching Sherlock using words related to your group's topic and maybe the specific aspect your group is interested in. Consider the Basic Keyword Searches box to the right of this box for more guidance on ways to augment your search. Also look at the "Tweak My Results" box once you have done a search to see if there are any facets that help you limit your search.
Getting too few, too many, or unrelated results? what are synonyms or similar concepts to your topic that you can try?
This box will also search Sherlock:
Once you have found a book in the catalog, take a look at its call number, write it down or text it to yourself (there is an option for this in the catalog). Go off into the stacks and find the book. Need help understanding call numbers? Take a look at the box below explaining them more in-depth. By the way, the catalog will tell you what floor the book is on, and we are currently on the third floor.
Once you've found your book, take a look through it and consider the following questions:
Penrose Library organizes books using Library of Congress call numbers. Similar to the Dewey Decimal classification, Library of Congress call numbers act as a book's address on the shelf. Call numbers are made up of a combination of letters and numbers that represent specific subjects. Library of Congress uses the letters of the alphabet to represent broad subject categories and subdivisions. For example, J represents Political Science and R represents Medicine.
When you find a book you're interested in the catalog, you'll see a location and call number listed. Using Unsettled ground : the Whitman Massacre and its shifting legacy in the American West by Cassandra Tate as an example, the catalog lists the call number as E99.C32 T38 2020. Additionally it indicates the book is shelved on the 3rd Floor and is available for check out.
To understand the call number for this book, here's how to break it down:
H represents the broad subject of Social Sciences. Books are shelved first by this section of the call number, in alphabetical order.
E gathers books representing History of the Americas (United States).
99 represents a further refinement of the subject. In this case it stands for books published about Indian tribes and cultures and is treated as a whole number.
.C32 represents the further refinement to Cayuse Indians. This is a decimal number (not a whole number.) For example, .C32 will come after .C3 and before .C4.
T38 the final element, represents the author's last name (Tate). This is typically a whole number.
2020 is the year the book was published. Dates do not always appear as part of a call number.
On the Penrose Library shelves, Unsettled Ground is surrounded by books with these call numbers:
E99 .C32 R88 2005
E99 .C32 T38 2020
E99 .C32 W47 1991
To help you find where a book is located, call number ranges appear on the end panel of each row of shelves.
The catalog provides the ability to text message the call number to a personal cell phone. Standard text-messaging fees may apply.
In the Sherlock search box there's a drop-down menu that defaults to Whitman, but if you click it, you will see Summit is one of your options. This allows you to search the holdings of libraries across Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. If you find a book in Summit that we don't have, an option to request the book will be displayed, and the book will be sent to Whitman, which usually only takes a few days.
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