How Do I Find a Book?

Does the idea of tracking down a book in the Library fill you with dread? Help is on the way...

To find a book, you have to know two things: call number and floor. The call number is a series of numbers, letters, and a decimal point. Look for the call number in the book information in Library Search.

The Library has different collections (Scores, Career, Reserves, Film Scripts) on 5 floors. The biggest is the Main Collection on floors 3, 4, and 5. Call numbers of books in the Main Collection do not indicate which floor the book is on.

Here's a cheat sheet:

Main Collection Call Number Locations
001-739 - 3rd floor
740-799 - 4th floor
800-999 - 5th floor

Don't memorize that! Just check the floor guides near the elevators. Or use the floor directory.

1. Once you find the right floor, look for the first three numbers in the call number. These are in number order: 800 comes before 803, which comes before 810.

2. Now look for any numbers that come after the decimal point. These are in decimal order: 800.01 comes before 800.1, which comes before 800.25.

3. Then look for a letter, in alphabetical order: 800.01 G comes before 800.01 R, which comes before 800.01 Y.

If you can't find a book, ask a Library staff person for help. Hope this makes finding a book easier!

Trivia: What call number system does CCC Library use? Let us know in the comments! (Hint: decimal is part of its name.)

Something's changed...?

Something's changed at the Library. Several things in fact.

1. Research Refresh! There's a new look for the Research Guides





2. Two versions of the catalog!
Quick Search? Use the Basic Catalog.
In-Depth Research? Use the Advanced Catalog.



3. Logging in to request books is different!
In the Basic Catalog the login screen will look like this:


You can create a login and password of your choosing. You will only have to enter the 14-digit barcode (on the back of your Columbia ID Card) when you create your account.

JSTOR is getting a new look

One of the many databases the Library subscribes to is JSTOR, a repository of high-resolution, scanned images of journal issues and pages as they were originally designed, printed, and illustrated. The journals archived in JSTOR span many disciplines. JSTOR began as an effort to ease the increasing problems faced by libraries seeking to provide adequate shelf space for the long runs of backfiles of scholarly journals. JSTOR is not a current issues database. Because of JSTOR's archival mission, there is a gap, typically from 1 to 5 years, between the most recently published journal issue and the back issues available in JSTOR.

In mid-March, JSTOR will be launching a new interface.

You can preview the redesign here: http://sandbox.jstor.org


If you have questions about JSTOR, just

Your Library privileges (and other money saving tips)

Time Out Chicago recently reported on the Interlibrary Loan system (called I-Share) that all Columbia College students, staff and faculty have access to (in other words: Free books!). Take a look at the Book Smarts section in this article.

Questions on how to take advantage of I-Share or other free Library services? Just click

Some word processing tips and tricks

Do any of these scenarios sound familiar?

You saved your paper to disc or flash drive, only to find that it doesn't open properly next time you try to work on it?

You *thought* you saved your paper to your disc, but it's nowhere to be found?

You stayed up all night finishing your essay and all that's left to do is print but you've left the disc or flash drive at home?

The new Microsoft Office 2007 interface just isn't doing it for you?

Free online word processing sites offer an alternative to these scenarios--you just sign up for a free account and then type away. Work is saved as you go along and you can just log back into it next time you need it. Now, AS LONG AS YOU HAVE INTERNET ACCESS, there's no more digging around for that tiny flash drive, hoping that you remembered the right disc or worrying that you won't be able to open up your file.

Here are a few free online word processing options that you can experiment with:

Google Docs & Spreadsheets: If you've got a Gmail account, you already have a Google Docs account, too.

Zoho Writer: Free registration gives you access to the Zoho word processing system. Zoho also offers spreadsheet and other presentation applications.

AjaxWrite: AjaxWrite requires the Mozilla Firefox browser. In addition to word processing, they also have spreadsheet applications and even a graphic drawing tool and music player.

(note: this post is back by popular demand! It was originally posted in June 2007)

Don't miss the Ask A Librarian roadshow!

is hitting the road!

Tomorrow you don't need to come to the Library...the Library will come to you! Helpful and friendly Columbia College Chicago librarians will be available at the Plymouth Court dorm to assist you with your research as you head into finals week.

Where: 731 Plymouth Ct.
When: Thursday, December 6th from 1-3pm

• Impress your friends and instructors with your ability to find relevant and "on target" sources!
• Get more sleep at night...research and finish papers early and with ease!
• Make a new friend! Let a librarian help you find resources instructors will love!
• Cut the angst of finals!

Remember--there are also helpful and friendly librarians available in the Library during regular hours and the Library's web site (and through it, thousands of scholarly journals, lots of encyclopedias and other handy research stuff) is available 24x7. Use the link anytime!

New: Black Metropolis Research Consortium

Columbia College Chicago is proud to be a part of the Black Metropolis Research Consortium. The BMRC is an unincorporated Chicago-based association of libraries, universities, and other archival institutions with major holdings of materials that document African American and African diasporic culture, history, and politics, with a specific focus on materials relating to Chicago. The University of Chicago serves as Host Institution of the BMRC.

The BMRC is dedicated to making broadly accessible its members' holdings of materials that document African American and African diasporic culture, history, and politics, with a specific focus on materials relating to Chicago.

Check out the new BMRC web site HERE

New Library resource

Come and take a look at one of our newest reference titles, Short Stories for Students. You'll find numerous short stories covered with concise synopses of the story's plot, characters and themes, a brief author biography, a discussion of the story's cultural and historical significance and excerpted criticism. You'll also be pointed to media adaptations of the story, discussion questions and suggestions on what to read next. You can search Short Stories for Students by author, title, nationality and theme.

Want help with Short Stories for Students or more information on literature or authors? Just click here or on any of the Library's web pages.

New chat reference service from the Library!

Instant messaging chat reference is here!

The link on any Library web page will lead to four options: E-mail, Phone, Chat and Consultation Appointment. Select the option that works best for you--no question is too small or too large!

Have a new @loop.colum.edu email address? Add askccclibrary@gmail.com to your Gtalk (or MSN) buddy list! You can also add askccclibrary to other chat programs like Yahoo! and AIM.

Questions about how to use chat or any of our other services? anytime.

LexisNexis has a new look!

LexisNexis has officially launched their newly redesigned interface! What does this mean for you? While the search screen looks a little different, you can still access the same robust News, Legal and Business content and then some.

From the Library's home page, click on Databases A to Z to get to this list:

LexisNexis Academic:

• Accounting Research


• BBC Worldwide Monitoring Country Reports


• Business News Publications


• Business Digests


• Company Profiles


• Federal & State Cases


• Federal & State Codes


• Illinois Newspapers


• Industry News Publications


• Law Review Journals
  Legal News Publications


• Legal News Group File


• Markets & Industry News


• News Search


• Patent Search


• Roper Public Opinion Polls


• SEC Filings


• Shepard Citation Search


• TV & Radio Broadcast Transcripts

Interested in learning more about how the new LexisNexis works? Training webinars are offered by LexisNexis about twice a week. Go to this website for more info:
http://www.lexisnexis.com/academicwebseminars/

LexisNexis is a powerful database and there's a lot in there! Don't hesitate to ask for help with LexisNexis or with any of our other subscription databases. Just click

College Archives site launched

The web site of the Columbia College Chicago Archives is now live! Here's an introduction to the Archives from our College Archivist, Heidi Marshall:

Who were Columbia’s past presidents? Has the school always been known as Columbia College Chicago? How does one best preserve digital images? A strange string of questions but answers to them share a common home. Check out the Columbia College Chicago Archives pages for answers!

The Archives, established in 2005, houses the historic records of the College on the second floor of the Library. Seeking a course catalog from the 1940s? Trying to find an article that appeared in the Columbia Chronicle in the 1980s? The College Archives has them!

Browse the pages, find out the history, read articles written by Columbia’s founders, and learn how to protect your own collection. And, as always, if there are questions, just drop us a line: collegearchives @ colum.edu. Enjoy!

"Poet with the camera" Ingmar Bergman Dies at 89

Ingmar Bergman, widely considered one of the greatest directors in motion picture history, died July 30th at the age of 89. His death was announced by the Ingmar Bergman Foundation.

The Library has many books and other resources covering the life and works of Bergman. Click on the Find Articles--Film & Video link on the Library's home page to be directed to a number of film related databases, as well as the Biography Reference Bank.

Read Bergman's New York Times obituary HERE

For more information on the works of Ingmar Bergman, explore the Ingmar Bergman Face to Face website.

Writer's Market 2008 is in!

Trying to find a publisher or a literary agent? Want to target specific consumer magazines or trade journals and don't know their editorial policies? The Writer's Market is an excellent reference source for the "where and how to sell what you write." It's available in the Library's 2nd floor reference stacks area.

Have questions? Need help? Just click

In the spotlight: Chocolate

The true history of chocolate









Pure imagination : the making of Willy Wonka and the chocolate factory







The new taste of chocolate : a cultural and natural history of cacao with recipes







The emperors of chocolate : inside the secret world of Hershey and Mars








Chocolate therapy : dare to discover your inner center!




The Library's bookshelves and databases are covered in (information about) chocolate! Come sit in our newly-remodeled Weisman Reading Room and read today's New York Times--the food section has an article describing the merits of British chocolate over American chocolate. Or read the full text of the article HERE through our America's Newspapers database.


Have questions? Need help? Just click

New database: Biography Reference Bank

The Library has recently acquired the Biography Reference Bank!

Did you know...

• that Martha Graham was born in 1894 and continued to choreograph her dance company until she died a month before her 97th birthday?
• that Barack means "blessed" in Swahili?
• that David Bowie's life was changed by reading Jack Kerouac's On the Road and that he has a son named Zowie Bowie?
• that Georgia O'Keefe lived in Chicago briefly in the early 1900's and did free-lance commercial art work?

Well, now you do! You can find out about these famous people and more using Biography Reference Bank, just one of the many databases the Library offers featuring all kinds of interesting biographical information from reputable reference sources!

Have questions? Need help? Just click

Chicago: Fashion Hub

Today's New York Times featured an article on fashion in Chicago. It discussed Fashion Focus Chicago, an upcoming event (October, 2007) organized by the City of Chicago's Department of Cultural Affairs. Check out that website for lots of links to Chicago Fashion sources, local designers and more.

And keep an eye out for Fashion Week Chicago, coming up in September 2007.

And if you missed this year's Fashion Columbia event during Manifest, be sure to put it on your calendar for May, 2008!

Read the full text of the NYT article HERE, available through the Library's America's Newspapers database.

Want to learn more about fashion in Chicago and beyond? Try some of the databases listed under our Find Articles--Fashion category. Need help? Just click

In the Spotlight: Company Research

Researching a company can be tough and time consuming.

Consult our research guide for tips that will save you time!