Introduction

Keywords and Dewey Numbers

Library Catalog

To find a book, in the catalog choose the"Power Search" tab and set "Type" to Book. Enter your specific topic to search for books in the Non-fiction section. To search the Reference Section set "Type" to Reference Books or Other Reference Materials.

To find material in our e-books use the "Quick Search" tab in the catalog, use the search terms listed above, and check out the ones that have a "Visit Site" icon above the title. If you cannot get there from the catalog, a librarian can help you get to the article another way.

To browse the shelves search the biography section and the Quick Read biographies for information on a famous person. Don't neglect the 920s for collected biographies. There is already a cart set aside for information on careers. For historical events search the 900s, but since it is a large section, use the catalog first to find the exact area, then search the shelves around that area.

Print Resources

Career Books

• Career Books are already on a cart this year.

Author/Poets

• In the reference section, use the various literary criticism books which also have biographical information.

Historical events

• Search the catalog for your event. Many will be in the 900s.

Famous People

• Find people primarily in the Biography section and in the Quick Reads section. Locate books by using the last name of the person you are researching. Use the catalog to find them in the collected biographies, the 920s, or in other sections.

Online Databases

 Power Search

Use Power Search by clicking on the icon to the right and put in your subject. Be sure to look at the information under all the tabs at the top of the page.

Other databases:

• ABC-CLIO Aerican History

           Click on the ABC-Clio American History icon.

• World Book Online

          Scroll down to the World Book icon. Don't overlook the

          World Book Advanced in the upper right-hand corner

          which has primary sources.

• Britannica Online

          Look in the right-had column for the Britannica Online icon.

          If asked for a login and password, use mesquite and schools.

• Literature Resource Center

          Scroll down the left-hand corner to the icon.

Websites

  netTrekker

NetTrekker provides evaluated web sites Click on the NetTrekker icon to the left and enter your search term.

Careers:

• Occupational Outlook Handbook

  Provides detailed information about a wide variety of occupations.

• What Interests You?

           Explore Career Information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics

• Texas Workforce Commission

  Texas Workforce shows labor market statistics for Texas and helps

   identify jobs that will be in demand.

• Nurses for a Healthier Tomorrow

  Provides career and educational information on a wide variety of

  nursing careers.

• Yahoo! Hot Jobs

  Information on thousands of jobs.

Authors/Poets

• Academy of American Poets

          Search by poet or poem.

Finding a web site on your own? Use these resources for evaluating the site.

• Web Evaluation for Secondary Grades
• Evaluation Criteria from "The Good, The Bad & The Ugly: or, Why It's a Good Idea to Evaluate Web Sources
• Evaluating Web Pages: Techniques to Apply & Questions to Ask
• Evaluating Web Sites: Criteria and Tools
• Blue Web'n Site Evaluation Rubric

Citing Sources

Don't neglect to cite your sources. Use these sites for MLA documentation.

• Citation Maker
• Citation Machine
• easybib.com