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The
Library 411
Did you know that library anxiety is the most common academic anxiety
among college students? It's nothing to be ashamed of! A
college library and doing college level research can take some getting
used to, so here's the library 411, your one stop guide to getting you
started with academic libraries.
Get to Know Your Library
It may seem obvious, but taking the time to get to know your library
now can really save you time and frustration when you actually have
to do research for your classes. The orientation tour with your College
411 class will give you some of the basics. If for some reason
you miss it, a librarian will be glad to show you around another time,
just Ask
a Librarian. Meanwhile, here are a few basics:
How to Navigate COM Library's Web Pages
Meanwhile, getting around the
library's hundreds of web pages can be even more confusing than being
in the library.
COM Library wants to make the navigation of its pages as easy as possible and
has included several ways for users to do this. Click on the numbered sections
of the interactive image below to see descriptions, or simply scroll below the
image.
Navigate COM Library's Web
(interactive image--click on numbers)
Use the COM Library Banner
Click on the COM Library banner at the top of any COM Library page to return
to COM Library's home page. Back
to Image.
Google COM Library
You can search all the hundreds of COM Library pages to find
what you're looking for using Google. You should know that this searches only
the library's web pages, not the library's catalog or databases; the pages
in the catalog and databases are dynamically generated and are not permanent. Back
to Image.
Use the Main Links
At the top of all COM Library pages are links to the main categories: Articles,
Books, Internet, How to..., Ask a Librarian and COM's home page. Back
to Image.
Use the Quick Links
Quick Links, available at the top of every COM Library page, lists COM's
most popular pages, including COMCat, the Research Tutorial and more. Us
this pull-down menu to make your selection and
hit Go to get to your page. Back
to Image.
Use the Site Map
The Site Map is available from the Quick Links already
mentioned. Since it lists all COM Library pages--organized by
main category with all sub categories below--it's worth mentioning separately.
This can be a great place to go if you get really lost. Back
to Image.
Use Information
From almost every COM Library page Library Information links (hours,
contacts) will appear on the left hand side of the Page. On some pages there
may also be Related Links.
Back
to Image.
Use breadcrumbs
Breadcrumbs are located on almost every COM Library page, below the main links. For every page you visit these links reflect both the current page and previous, related pages in the hierarchy of the library's web site. For example, the breadcrumbs for the database page would be: COM Library > Find Articles > Databases. The main page does not display breadcrumbs because it's at the top of the hierarchy, but on other library pages, this is where they will be located. Back
to Image.
Use Library @ COM Blog
From almost every COM Library page, the blog will appear on the left side
of the page. It highlights library news, upcoming events, HotSpots and New
Books. Back to Image.
Use the Home Page Links
And last but not least, use the home page links: Find Articles, Find Books, Find Internet, and How To... Each of these links includes the most popular links under that category. Back to Image.
The
Library 411
