It's great to be back and starting the fall semester! Over the summer, the library's catalog software was updated, and now has a new look. Some of the tools are easier to use, too. Here's a quick tour.
The starting search box is the same as ever. You can search for just books, just articles, or both at once with 'everything,' and you can choose to search either Butte College holdings or libraries worldwide.
Once you type in your search terms, you will get a results list with search tools in a menu on the side. Note that you can now see a book's location and availability right away, and you have some handy tools right in the title listing. Now you can get a citation or a permanent link without having to click to see an item's full record. You can also save the item to a list or email it to yourself, which is great for research.
If you choose to search for articles, the same tools will appear. You can now go straight to an article by clicking "View full text," and the citation and link tools are easy to use right away.
Take a look at the "Search Tools" menu. You can change the results of your search by selecting these options. If you want articles and not books, you can check the "Article" box, for example. Perhaps you only want to see peer reviewed articles, or change your search to see books from other libraries. If you move down the menu, you will see even more options, such as narrowing down the publishing dates.
If you click on the title of a book or article, you will be able to see the full record on the right side of the screen, with your search result list still visible on the left. You can use the citation and linking tools here, too, but you also have further options. There will often be a preview of the book available from Google Books, and you may choose to view a full book description, browse the shelf, or look at other editions and formats of the item.
The "View Description" option will show you useful information: there will be subject terms you can use for further research, and usually a listing of the table of contents as well as other material.
If you choose to "Browse the Shelf," the catalog will show you the items that should be on the same shelf in real life. You can move to the sides to see more. This should show you books about the same or similar subjects.
If a book or article is not owned by the Butte College Library, you can still request it through InterLibrary Loan by clicking on the gold "Request item" button in the item record.
Poke around the new catalog interface; it's easy to get used to and the tools are quicker to access. Best of luck in the new semester!
Banned Books Week is a national celebration of our freedom to think, write, and read about all ideas, no matter how unpopular or unorthodox they may be. Visit the library this week to see displays about censorship, grab a bookmark or pin, show what recently-challenged books YOU have read, or check out a book that somebody didn't want you to be able to read. Enter to win a Kindle or gift card!
This year we're doing a special highlight of the Harry Potter books, which have been subject to protests for 20 years now. Find out how and why Harry Potter became the most-challenged book in American history!
Check out the infographics below to learn about what books have been challenged recently, and why some people try to ban books.