This tutorial has been designed for anyone wishing to utilize the many resources available in the Richard Bland College Library.  Once a student has mastered the information and used the tips given in this tutorial, the RBC Library will be a more familiar place to use for research assignments.
 
 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Getting Started Arrangement of RBC Library Library of Congress Classification Reference Resources (Dictionaries, Encyclopedias, etc.) Looking for a Book to Borrow? eBooks Periodicals (Newspapers, Magazines & Journals) VIVA: Virtual Library of Virginia Interlibrary Loan (ILL) Audiovisuals: Videos & DVDs Library Staff Other Useful Library Information Research Tips

GETTING STARTED

Looking for a research topic? Aren't sure what you'd like to research? The library's Research Help page includes links to web sites with lists of possible paper and speech topics.

Be sure to start your research as early as possible!

Plan to spend time in RBC Writing Lab if you need additional assistance.

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ARRANGEMENT OF RBC LIBRARY    

The Library is arranged into four main areas: Reference, Reserves, Stacks and Periodicals.

Reference:   The reference section is located to the right as you enter the library.  Although the books in this section are not for checkout, they do contain many valuable resources.  In this section, you will find the encyclopedias, dictionaries, atlases, and almanacs.  (Ref on the spine of a book indicates that it is reference material.)

Reserves: Items on reserve have been set aside by professors for limited use. Ask for reserve materials at the Circulation Desk. You may also search for reserve materials online using LION.

Stacks:  The "stacks" section or "stack area" at the back of the library contains the circulating books which may be checked out. Wondering what you're allowed to borrow and for how long? The library publishes a chart of student borrowing privileges available online.

Periodicals:  The periodicals department, which includes the magazines, professional journals, and newspapers, is located to the left of the library's entrance.

Additional locations within the library include the Virginia Room (local history & RBC archives), Special Collections, Travel Collection and Videorecording Collection.

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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM

HOW ARE BOOKS ARRANGED IN THE RBC LIBRARY?

Books are arranged according to the Library of Congress Classification System.  In high school, you most likely used the Dewey Decimal Classification System.  Academic libraries use the LC or Library of Congress Classification System.

The Library of Congress Classification System separates subject matter into 21 classes.  Each class is identified by a letter of the alphabet, subclasses by additional letters, and topics within classes and subclasses by numbers.  For example, the letter "R" has been assigned to the broad area of medicine.  The two letters "RT" identify the narrower subject of nursing.  The combination of letters and numbers "RT85" specifies a book on nursing ethics.  Further letters and numbers would then be added to pinpoint one individual book.  This final set of letters and numbers, the Library of Congress Call Number, appears on the catalog record for the book in LION and also on the spine of the book.  Books are shelved alphanumerically by the LC call numbers found on the spine.  For example, Ref PR881.C69/1996 is the call number for the reference book, Contemporary Novelists, and is located in the "PR" area of the reference section.

Posters with the LC Classification System are posted throughout the library.  Please ask the library staff for the complete LC Classification guide which is located at the Circulation Desk and is titled Immroth's Guide to the Library of Congress Classification.
 

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REFERENCE RESOURCES (DICTIONARIES, ENCYCLOPEDIAS, ETC.)

Handy reference sources are available online. Use online dictionaries for definitions, encyclopedias for overviews of a particular topic, almanacs for lists and statistics, and directories for names and contact information.

The APA and MLA style manuals are available at the Reserve Desk. Short citation guides based on the APA and MLA style manuals are available online.

These helpful reference books are found in the reference section of the RBC Library.

ENCYCLOPEDIAS:

General encyclopedias are available in the AE section of Reference. Encyclopedia Britannica online is among the list of VIVA database offerings.

Subject-specialty encyclopedias are available throughout the Reference Department. The dictionaries are arranged by subject area according to the LC Classification System.

DICTIONARIES:        

College English dictionaries can be found on dictionary stands within the Reference Department. The library's online reference page includes links to several online dictionaries and thesauri.

Subject-specialty dictionaries are available throughout the Reference Department. The dictionaries are arranged by subject area according to the LC Classification System.

FREQUENTLY REQUESTED REFERENCE MATERIALS

AND HONORABLE MENTION GOES TO THE FOLLOWING REFERENCE WORKS:

Literature students in need of literary biographies and criticism, should consult the Finding Literature Resources for ENG 102 guide developed by RBC Librarians; here you'll learn how to access literary information in print and also online.

Atlases can be found on the atlas stand within the Reference Department.

Students looking for a directory of colleges should consult Peterson's College Search.

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LOOKING FOR A BOOK TO BORROW?  CHECK THE ONLINE CATALOG (LION)

"How do I locate materials in the library?"

First, check LION (the RBC Library Catalog). Note that Richard Bland College belongs to the Williamsburg Research Libraries Partnership (WRLP) and that the LION catalog contains information on resources available at The College of William & Mary and Colonial Williamsburg as well as Richard Bland College.

The library has developed an online guide for searching LION.

Wondering how many books you can borrow at one time? Consult the library's guide to borrowing privileges.

What about ordering a book that isn't available in the RBC Library? Learn more about the library's Interlibrary Loan services.

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netLibrary eBook Collection

Over 46,000 eBooks are available to Richard Bland College students through the library's subscription to netLibrary. eBooks are electronic versions of print books. Like print books, the text found in eBooks is often enriched with photos, illustrations, graphs and tables. Digitized book pages may be viewed using the Adobe Acrobat reader, and pages may be printed one at a time using the Adobe Acrobat print button. Students can access information within an eBook by clicking on entries within the Table of Contents or by running a keyword search of the entire book!

By setting up a free account within netLibrary, RBC students can view books online anytime from any computer with access to the Internet.

The library has developed a guide to searching and using netLibrary eBooks.

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PERIODICALS

The periodicals section is located to the left of the Circulation Desk as you enter the RBC Library.  In this section the periodicals, magazines, and journals are housed.  These terms are used somewhat interchangeably, but they all refer to the same type of materials, that is, publications which are published at regular intervals and which contain articles by various writers.  Since they are published periodically, they are all called periodicals.

The library maintains a list of print journals available at RBC; this master list of print periodicals contains links to availability information maintained within the online catalog LION for each periodical.

If you want to read a current newspaper, you are welcome to come to the library and look through our collection of recent newspapers. The RBC Library subscribes to the Richmond Times-Dispatch, the Washington Post, and a number of local newspapers.

If you want to search for a recent newspaper article, you can do so online using the VIVA database Factiva.

Magazine and journal articles may be located using an online article database such as PowerSearch.  Some articles have been digitized and are available online whereas other articles may be available in magazines and journals owned by the library and housed in the periodicals section of the library. If you are looking for an article published prior to 1980, it may be necessary for you to consult the library's collection of periodical indexes in print. A librarian will be happy to help you search online resources for articles as well as the print indexes.

Databases and professors often make a distinction between articles in general periodicals such as Time or Rolling Stone and refereed journal articles in professional journals such as American Journal of Psychology or Journal of Marriage & the Family. Articles in general periodicals are meant to be read by a wide audience of lay persons whereas refereed articles in professional journal articles are meant to be read by researchers and professionals in a given field; also, peer-reviewed articles are reviewed by a panel of experts prior to publication.

The library has developed online guides to help you locate periodical articles.

• Accessing Articles and Other Full-Text Documents from PowerSearch (PDF)
• Finding Editorials using PowerSearch and Factiva (PDF)
• Finding Biology-Related Newspaper Articles (PDF)

What about ordering an article that isn't available in the RBC Library? Learn more about the library's Interlibrary Loan services.

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VIVA: THE VIRTUAL LIBRARY OF VIRGINIA

VIVA is your link to online article databases, online encyclopedias, and much more!

VIVA refers to the consortium of libraries of the 39 state-assisted college and universities (at 52 campuses) within the Commonwealth of Virginia.  VIVA's mission is to provide enhanced access to library and information resources for the Commonwealth of Virginia's academic libraries serving the higher education community.  What this means for Richard Bland College Library is that students and faculty have access to many of the electronic resources that are available at the larger four year colleges and universities.  These resources are paid for by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

The VIVA article databases typically provide three types of information.  A citation will list the source or location of the article.   An abstract includes a summary of the article.  The full text version provides the entire article as it is published in the periodical.   

VIVA databases are meant to be used by Richard Bland students and are available from the library web page. When accessing these databases from the College, you will be immediately directed to a database. If you are accessing these databases from off-campus, you will be prompted for a login. To access the VIVA databases from home, you will need to enter your RBC email username and password. Students without an email account or those who experience difficulty logging in, should contact a librarian for assistance.

RBC's list of VIVA databases is arranged so that the most commonly used databases are at the top. Also available is a complete list of VIVA database in alphabetical order followed by a complete listing by subject.

DATABASES FREQUENTLY USED BY RBC STUDENTS

Content Area	VIVA Database
Articles in all subjects	PowerSearch
Business	Business & Company Resource Center
Catalog of books in other libraries	WorldCat
Encyclopedia with background information	Encyclopedia Britannica
Health	Health & Wellness Resource Center
Literary biographies and criticism	Literature Resource Center
Newspaper articles	Factiva
Psychology	PsycINFO

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INTERLIBRARY LOAN (ILL)

Requesting materials from other libraries is another service the RBC Library performs for its student and faculty patrons. If a book or article you need for your research is not available in the RBC Library, the library staff will order it for you from a college or university library within the state. Quite often, students find books to order using the WorldCat database or by looking for books in LION which are available at The College of William and Mary.

An Interlibrary Loan request can be initiated in any of the following ways:

• Completing the online ILL form from the library home page. Please note that this form is also available from the "I Need Material" component of LION.
• Submitting a print-out of the desired book or article to a member of the library staff along with your name and contact information.
• Completing an online form using the ILL request feature within the WorldCat database.

Providing complete and accurate citation is very important to insure you receive the correct material in the timeliest manner.

ILL requests are processed immediately; the average wait time is seven working days. We make requests on a daily basis, but students should make requests early in their research. The patron is called or emailed when materials have arrived. If the request cannot be filled, the patron is also notified as soon as possible.

By accepting a book from another institution, the borrower is agreeing to comply with regulations of the RBC Library and the lending library.

• If an ILL book is late, the patron will be charged $1 a day.
• If a book is lost or damaged, the patron will be charged the replacement cost plus the processing fee, as determined by the lending library.

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AUDIOVISUALS—VIDEOS AND DVDs:

The RBC Library circulates feature films on VHS and DVD to students.  The library's video collection now contains over 2500 films.  All of the videos and DVDs are searchable by title or subject through LION, the online catalog. A list of DVDs by category is also available for viewing.

The video and DVD circulation policy states the following:

• Students may check out two videos or DVDs at a time.
• Videos will only be circulated to RBC students with appropriate identification.
• Videos that are rated R will be checked out only to students who are 18 or older.
• The videos have a three-day checkout period and are for individual viewing.
• The overdue fine for a late video or DVD is one dollar ($1.00) per day.
• All educational videos purchased for instructional purposes will be reserved for professors but will be available to students for in-library viewing.

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LIBRARY STAFF

Please ask for assistance! The library staff is here to help you.  All of the librarians conduct library orientation tours for groups, and they are also happy to work with students on an individual basis.

A library staff directory is available online.

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OTHER USEFUL LIBRARY INFORMATION

Try going to About the Library to access general information about the library in terms of hours, staff, statistics, policies, etc.

Look at our list of Frequently Asked Questions for other information about library services and resources.

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RESEARCH TIPS

• Start your research early. Do not wait until the last minute! Allow time for Interlibrary Loan and consultation with your professors. Also, allow yourself time to synthesize new material and also to properly edit and revise your writing.
• Photocopying resources in the library? Don't forget to jot down or copy bibliographic information (title, author, publisher, copyright date, etc.) from the title and verso pages. Note that the verso page is the back side of the title page.
• When you develop your thesis statement, make sure that it is appropriate for the nature of your research assignment. You may need to revise a broad topic so that it is more specific and less generalized. Or you may want to avoid tried-and-true research topics like the legalization of marijuana. Check with your professor if you are unsure.
• Don't use Internet search enginges like Google and Yahoo! for all of your research. Take advantage of library resources (books and articles in VIVA databases). Remember that some Internet sites are questionable in terms of their content, age and source. Learn more about evaluating web sites....
• Need help? Please don't suffer in silence. A librarian will be happy to help you through the research process and in the creation of works cited pages. Make a date with the RBC Writing Lab if you need help actually writing your paper.
• Remember that plagiarism is a serious offense and is a clear violation of the RBC Honor Code. Complete your assignments with academic integrity by attributing direct quotes and paraphrases to the original author! Learn more about avoiding plagiarism....
• Need assistance making sense of the APA and MLA style guides? Try using the library's helpful guides to understanding the APA and MLA style manuals.

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Contact library@rbc.edu with questions or comments.

Page updated May 5, 2008 .