The materials available at Pickler Memorial Library are organized according to various criteria, including subject matter, material type (reference works, periodicals, newspapers, etc.) and physical format (paper copies, bound volumes, microforms, videos, DVDs, etc). Knowing about these different types of organization is important for being able to locate material in the various sections of the library. Some basic information about these schemes is provided below.
With a few exceptions, materials in the library are organized by subject matter under the Library of Congress Classification system. The call numbers for this system are listed on the spine or the top front cover of most books and on other types of material wherever they can be conveniently affixed. The Reading Call Numbers sheet explains how a call number is broken down and how items are ordered according to call number. Examine this sheet carefully to understand how to read the different lines of letters and numbers. The first line is especially important, as the letters there indicate the subject area that a work falls into (see below).
Examine this sheet and then, as a practice exercise, try putting the following call numbers in order by LC classification. When you are done, click here to see the correct order.
DS
DS DS DS
4736 893
893 893
.A85 ____ .M61 ____ .M65
____ .M6473 ____
While most materials are housed according to the LC classification system detailed above, they are not arranged in one unbroken collection. Rather, they are in various collections depending on the type of material they represent. View the guide on Location of Materials to see information about some of these major collections. Some of the major collections in the library are detailed below.
This is the largest collection in the library and comprises the shelves on the second and third floors. Call numbers beginning A-K are on second and L-Z are on third. Each shelf is labeled with the range of call numbers it holds as well as the general subject area (History, Political Science, Biology, etc.) These consist mainly of full length, in-depth books in the given subject areas.
This is a smaller collection of books located behind the reference desk on the first floor. It consists of encyclopedias, dictionaries, handbooks, almanacs, and other general sources which are often useful for beginning research or for checking specific factual information on a topic or subject area. Although these sources are generally as in-depth as those in the General Collection, they are still arranged by LC classification and carry the same subject arrangement as the larger collection. View the Reference Collection guide to find more detailed information about the various types of reference sources.
The Current Periodicals section on the first floor is an exception to the system of LC classification. The shelves in this area contain the more recent issues of journals and magazines (collectively known as periodicals) arranged alphabetically. The term "current" usually refers to issues from the last year or so, depending on the publication. These shelves also list the call numbers for accessing the older bound or microfilmed copies of the journal (see below).
Older issues of journal and magazines are housed in a different section on the first floor, known as Periodicals or Bound Shelves. This last term is somewhat misleading since the area contains more than bound issues of periodicals. While many past issues are bound into volumes, others are microfilmed. The Periodicals section contains both bound volumes and boxes of microfilms intermixed, all arranged by the LC call number for the specific journal. As noted above, this call number may be obtained from the appropriate shelf in the Current Periodicals section or from the catalog record for the journal in WebCat.
The microforms room on the first floor of the library houses most of the library's collections of microform materials (aside from the microfilmed journal back issues). These include newspaper back issues, government documents, Congressional hearings and committee reports, and other specialized materials. All of the microform materials are listed in the Truman Library Catalog with the designation TRUMAN Micro Film indicated under Location. The term microfilms is a general term that is used to include both microfilm (reels of film) and microfiche (individual cards of film). Many of the items in this area are arranged by LC Classification but some are arranged according to other schemes including SuDoc (government documents), CIS (Congressional Information Service), and ERIC document numbers. Various paper indexes for newspapers and other materials are also shelved in this area, as are machines for reading and printing microfilm and microfiche.
Periodical Types
When viewing the current and bound periodicals, it is important to keep in mind some differences in the types of journals and magazines you find there. The term periodicals is often used as a blanket term to include magazines, scholarly journals, and trade journals. Some brief descriptions of these publications are given below. We will discuss these differences in more detail later in the course.
Magazines:
Publications of popular interest, written for the general public, usually
containing color photographs and advertising
Examples: Time, Newsweek, People, Sports Illustrated, TV
Guide
Trade
Journals: Publications
restricted to the interests of a trade, industry, or occupation. Can include
articles on new goods in the industry, noted members of the profession,
statistical data, or legislative activities relevant to the industry
Examples: Architectural Record, Farm Journal, American
Libraries
Scholarly
or Academic Journals:
Of interest to students and specialists in a particular field or discipline.
Articles generally have technical, field-specific language, contain detailed
footnotes and bibliographies, and are written by recognized experts in their
fields (usually university professors)
Examples:
American Historical Review, Journal of Money and Banking, William and Mary
Quarterly
Refereed journals (also called peer-reviewed journals) are a type of scholarly journal in which the articles are reviewed by other subject specialists in the area before being accepted for publication. Most scholarly journals are refereed but not all of them are.
Some notes about periodical types:
The fact that a periodical is subject specific does not mean it cannot be a popular magazine. Money and Scientific American are magazines that deal with specific subject areas and may appeal to select audiences but do not require advanced education to be read by the average reader
Any given subject area may support periodicals of all three types. Money is a popular magazine for the average person interested in personal finance; American Banker is a trade journal containing news and information for those working in the banking and finance industries; The Journal of Money and Banking is a scholarly journal appealing almost exclusively to those who have extensive background in the disciplines of economics and finance (mainly university professors and graduate students)
Periodicals do not always fall neatly into one of the three categories. Business Week is a detailed financial magazine appealing to those who work in the business arena but may also be read by those who are interested in personal finance. The Journal of Educational Psychology may contain scholarly, refereed articles but may also function as a trade journal for those in the education profession.