Education

1. Enter your search terms and click the "Search" button in the box to search the LBBL Catalog. By default, the system will use a keyword search looking for your terms across the entire catalog.

If you would like to limit the type of search:

• Use the left-side dropdown menu to change the type of search from Keyword to Title, Author, Subject, Call Number, ISBN/ISSN, or Resource Name.
• Use the right-side dropdown menu to change form Search Entire Catalog to a specific section of the library's physical collection: Harrison B. Wilson Archives, Herbert A. Marshall Collection, Reference Collection, or Juvenile Collection.

2. The results list has icons to indicate what type of materials are available. To remove E-Book results from the catalog and focus on physical items in the library, click the "Modify Search" button at the top of the results page:

3. On the "Modify Search" page you can use the "Add Limits" field to select a specific material location or type. For example, click "Circulation Stacks (Second Floor)" to limit the search results to only physical books located on the second floor of the library (note that you can use "Ctrl + mouse click" to select multiple options. Click the "Submit" button to view the modified search results.

4. The results list will show the location of your item using the Library of Congress Classification System call number. Learn how to read a call number below in the section titled "How To Find Items On The Shelf In The Library".

WorldCat Discovery searches the LBBL Catalog and libraries world-wide. This search will also return results for articles within journals.

1. Enter your search terms and click the green "Search" button to search WorldCat Discovery. By default, the system will use a keyword search looking for your terms across the entire catalog of the Lyman Beecher Brooks Library and libraries world-wide.

[This broad search capability makes WorldCat Discovery very useful for discovering a wide variety of materials even if they are not available at the Lyman Beecher Brooks Library. If you find resources that you need that are only available at other libraries, you can place a request with our Interlibrary Loan department to request to borrow the materials.]

2. The results list has multiple options for refining the search that can be customized using the filtering options contained in the left-side menu or the "Group & Refine This Search" menu on smaller screens.

3. In the filtering menu, check the boxes to apply limits and refine your results. For example, check the boxes for Norfolk State University and Print Book to limit the results to physical books available in the Lyman Beecher Brooks Library.

4. The results list will show the location of your item using the Library of Congress Classification System call number. Learn how to read a call number below in the section titled "How To Find Items On The Shelf In The Library".

1. By default, the system will search by Course. Enter your Course Abbreviation (ENG, ENG 101, etc.) and click the "Search" button in the box to search the LBBL Catalog. 

• Course searches can include just the three-letter department information (ENG, BIO, CHM, etc) or the full Course Abbreviation (ENG 101, BUS 330, etc.).
  • Note: If entering the full Course Abbreviation you must include a space between the department and course number: ENG 101 not ENG101.
     
• Use the left-side dropdown menu to change the type of search from Course to Instructor.
  • Note: When searching by instructor, you can search by last name only or by the instructor's full name. If you search using the instructor's full name, you must search in the following order: Last Name, First Name.  
    • Example: Smith, John not John Smith

​​​​​​​2. Select your Course/Instructor from the results list to view Course Reserves for your class.

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3. Review the list of materials held in the library's Course Reserves and visit the front desk on the first floor of the library to request your item.

Step 2 - Breaking Down the Call Number:

Now that you have a call number, breaking it down into its parts will tell you not only about the item's location but also the topic that the item is classified under.

Starting from the top of the call number, when written on a spine label as shown above:

• The first line is the class or subclass and is represented in letters: 
  • Call numbers are in alphabetical order moving from left to right and top to bottom on the shelves. A full listing of the classes/subclasses that may be used on the first line can be found here: Library of Congress Classification Outline
     
• The second line is the topic and is represented as a number:
  • Within the class, topics are ordered by numbers (including decimals if included) counting up from zero by moving left to right and top to bottom on the shelves.  
     
• The next line(s) - there may be one or more lines between the topic number above and the publication date line below that begin with a decimal point followed by a letter then numbers or a letter followed by numbers. These lines narrow the topic, specify the author, or identify the title of the work:
  • First, read the letter. Next, read the numbers as a decimal number moving left to right. For example: .C75, .C76, .C77, .C778, .C78 is the proper shelf order.
     
• Publication date and additional lines:
  • The last line is usually the item’s publication date, however there may also be a line for the copy number, volume number or other additional information line. These are read left to right in numerical order.

Note: Library of Congress Classification call numbers are assigned to items based on their topic. This means that if you find a book that you are interested in on the shelf, you may want to browse the shelf to the left and right of your item for related materials.

Step 3 - Locating the Item on the Shelf:

Now that you have a call number from your item search, a general location in the building, and an understanding of how to read the call number, it is time to head to the shelves.

You will encounter call numbers in the stacks written in two ways, as a single line and in multiple lines. When reading a call number written as a single line, split the letters and numbers of the class and topic (BX4406.5 becomes BX 4406.5) then read the spaces as line breaks to translate them to the multiple line format. Or, vice versa, to translate from multiple line to single line format:

• Single line (such as in search results and on the ends of shelf rows):

• Multiple lines (such as on a spine label on a book):

To find your item on the shelf, go to the location specified in your item record from your search, locate the shelves with the correct range call number using the signs on the ends of the shelves, then locate the spine label of your item on the shelf by following the call numbers to its exact location.

If you need any assistance, please contact any library staff member and we will be happy to assist you! 

Special Collections / Exceptions:

Some items, such as those in the Herbert A. Marshall Collection, require the assistance of library staff and will direct you to the First Floor Circulation Desk.

Example: 

1. Enter your search terms and click the "Submit" button in the box to search the LBBL Catalog. By default, the system will use a keyword search looking for your terms across the entire catalog.

If you would like to limit the type of search:

• Use the left-side dropdown menu to change the type of search from Keyword to Title, Author, Subject, Call Number, ISBN/ISSN, or Resource Name.
• Leave the default right-side dropdown menu option "Search Entire Catalog" to search for electronic resources.

2. The results list has icons to indicate what type of materials are available. In order to select only electronic resources, such as E-Book results from the catalog, click the "Modify Search" button at the top of the results page:

3. On the "Modify Search" page you can use the "Add Limits" field to select a specific material type. For example, click "E-BOOKS" to limit the search results to only E-Books. (note that you can use "Ctrl + mouse click" to select multiple options. Click the "Submit" button to view the modified search results.

4. Click on resources in the results list to view the item record. The item record will have a link at the top of the page that will take you to the electronic resource.

Note that you may need to authenticate through OpenAthens using your MyNSU login credentials in order to access content.
For more information, visit the following guide How to Access Databases from Off-Campus. 

WorldCat Discovery searches the LBBL Catalog and libraries world-wide. This search will also return results for articles within journals.

1. Enter your search terms and click the green "Search" button to search WorldCat Discovery. By default, the system will use a keyword search looking for your terms across the entire catalog of the Lyman Beecher Brooks Library and libraries world-wide.

[This broad search capability makes WorldCat Discovery very useful for discovering a wide variety of materials even if they are not available at the Lyman Beecher Brooks Library. If you find resources that you need that are only available at other libraries, you can place a request with our Interlibrary Loan department to request to borrow the materials.]

2. The results list has multiple options for refining the search that can be customized using the filtering options contained in the left-side menu or the "Group & Refine This Search" menu on smaller screens.

3. In the filtering menu, check the boxes to apply limits and refine your results. For example, check the boxes for Norfolk State University and eBook to limit the results to eBooks with full text availability through the Lyman Beecher Brooks Library.

4. Click on resources in the results list to view the item record or click View eBook straight from the results list to visit the electronic resource.

Note that you may need to authenticate through OpenAthens using your MyNSU login credentials in order to access content.
For more information, visit the following guide How to Access Databases from Off-Campus. 

Use the search box to run a keyword search for databases included in the A-Z Databases List or click the link See the full A-Z Databases List to browse the full list of available online databases.

Research Guides are helpful overviews of library resources, research techniques, and time-saving strategies organized by course, subject, or specific topic such as using the library or navigating current events topics like AI. These guides are built by your NSU librarians and are tailored to your courses and research using the specific resources available to you at NSU.

Use the search box to run a keyword search for your terms across all of the library's Research Guides or click the link See the full Research Guides List to browse the full list of available Research Guides.

1. By default, the system will search by Course. Enter your Course Abbreviation (ENG, ENG 101, etc.) and click the "Search" button in the box to search the LBBL Catalog. 

• Course searches can include just the three-letter department information (ENG, BIO, CHM, etc) or the full Course Abbreviation (ENG 101, BUS 330, etc.).
  • Note: If entering the full Course Abbreviation you must include a space between the department and course number: ENG 101 not ENG101.
     
• Use the left-side dropdown menu to change the type of search from Course to Instructor.
  • Note: When searching by instructor, you can search by last name only or by the instructor's full name. If you search using the instructor's full name, you must search in the following order: Last Name, First Name.  
    • Example: Smith, John not John Smith

​​​​​​​2. Select your Course/Instructor from the results list to view Course Reserves for your class.

​​​​​​​

3. Review the list of materials held in the library's Course Reserves and visit the front desk on the first floor of the library to request your item.