• Reference Services: During regular hours of operation, there are trained staff members available to assist you with your information needs.
• Database Instruction: We provide in depth database instruction in the library.
• Research Procedures: The Library Web Page, On-Line Tour, Resource Guide and Database Training have all been designed to answer your research and library related questions. However, if you are still in need of assistance, please request help from one of our staff members.
• Individual Assistance: Please feel free to make an appointment with one of our library staff members should you need additional reference assistance.

There are five distinct sections of printed materials in the library which are cataloged and arranged accordingly on the library shelves:

1. Fiction: The upper school library designation for fiction books is F. The spine of the book will have an F plus the first three (3) letters of the author's last name. These books will be arranged on the shelves alphabetically by each author's last name -- exactly as it is spelled; then, by the author's first name. Several fiction books by the same author will subsequently be arranged alphabetically by title.
2. Nonfiction: These books are arranged numerically, 000 - 999, using the DDC, or Dewey Decimal Classification system. Books with the same Dewey number are arranged alphabetically according to the author's last name; then, alphabetically by first name; and finally by title, just as with fiction.
3. Reference: Our reference materials are located in a special section set apart from our circulating collection and are designated by an R on the spine. Each book is then arranged on the shelf numerically by its DDC, then alphabetically according to the first three letters of the author's last name (or in the absence of an author, the first three letters of the book's title). Reference materials do not circulate; that is, they are not loaned out to students and must be used in the library.
4. Biographies: These books are currently shelved in the Biography Room, a room and collection separated from the other circulating collections. Both upper and lower school biographical materials are housed here, however they are not shelved together. Upper school biographies have a B for biography and the first three letters of the subject's last name. (Lower school biographies will have a j [indicating juvenile] before the B.)
   
   Collective Biographies: Each collective biography contains biographical information, generally with a common theme, on two or more subjects. Collective biographies are designated by the DDC range of 920-929 and are shelved numerically, then arranged alphabetically by the author's last name with the other nonfiction materials, rather than with the biographies.
5. Story Collection: Collections of short stories, are shelved separately from the novels. These books will have SC on the spine and the first three letters of the author's (or compiler's) last name. They are then arranged alphabetically by last name, first name, and subsequently, the book's title.
   

AHS Library arranges the majority of its nonfiction collection using the Dewey Decimal Classification system. Fiction materials are arranged by the author's last name, and all fiction books by the same author are then sub-arranged by title. When arranging items alphabetically in a library, the initial articles of "a", "an", and "the" are ignored when they are the first word of the title or subject.

• Mabry, Caroline
• Macafee, Norman
• Madach, Imre
• Mc Govern, William
• Mcauley, Mary
• McBain, Ed
• Saint Amond, Mary Scott
• Sainte Bevue, Charles
• St. Amant, Alfred
• Stack, Hagen

By locating, identifying and becoming familiar with the different parts of a book, you will be able to determine its usefulness as a reference tool and readily locate the information needed for your own citations and "works cited" pages. The blurb, preface, introduction, and table of contents can help you assess the book's contents. The copyright date will indicate whether or not the information is current. An index will assist you in locating specific and detailed information. And a good, comprehensive bibliography can indicate that the book has been well researched.

• Blurb a publisher's description and recommendation of a book on a book jacket
• Title page a page at or near the front of a book which has the full title,
  author, the publisher and the place of publication
• Subtitle printed directly beneath the title, it helps to define the scope of the book
• Copyright the exclusive privilege of publishing and selling a work, granted by a government to an author, composer, etc.
• Copyright date located on the back of the title page, usually indicates the date when the book was completed (A new copyright is issued when the material has been revised or changed.)
• Publication date date the book has been issued (A new publication or printing date means only that more copies have been issued; the material has not been changed.)
• Preface precedes the text and usually states the origin, purpose and scope of the work
• Table of contents lists chapters or units in the order in which they appear
• List of maps & illustrations lists maps, charts, and illustrations contained in the book
• Introduction deals with the subject of the book (more so than the preface)
• Body of the book main part, or text, of the book
• Bibliography lists of books and/or articles on a particular subject; may detail the author's sources or may suggest material for further study
• Index usually at the back of the book, an alphabetical listing of topics, names, etc. with references to pages where they occur
• Appendix at the back of the book, material not part of but closely related to the text
• Glossary a list of unusual, dialectal or technical terms

The American Heritage and Academy Library also has periodicals available for your research needs and leisure reading. The periodical titles are listed in our library catalog, arranged on the shelves first alphabetically by title and, then, chronologically. You can easily locate a specific article that you need by utilizing the Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature and requesting that magazine from any member of your library staff.

The Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature is a cumulative author and subject index to many English language magazines or periodicals. The author and subject entries to individual articles are arranged alphabetically in one listing. The Reader's Guide is published monthly in soft copy; and at the end of the calendar year, these monthly entries are compiled into one hard-bound volume.

At the front of the Readers' Guide is a key to the abbreviations used in the index, then followed by a list of all the periodicals indexed. Next is the main body of the index (consisting of author and subject entries). And, finally, at the back of the Readers' Guide, there is a listing of citations to book reviews.

To use the Readers' Guide, look for the subject heading that you are researching. Read the list of article title entries under that heading. Choose one, noting on a piece of paper the title of the periodical, its date and the page number of the article.

EBSCO's database allows access to full text periodical publications (including 30 newspapers), pamphlets, reference books, biographies, primary source documents and an image collection of photos, maps and flags. All information is updated daily.

• SIRS Researcher: This online version of SIRS and SIRS Enduring Issues contains the same articles as SIRS in print format reprinted in their entirety, including most graphics. In addition to the 34 title headings that make up SIRS Social Issues and Critical Issues Series, the SIRS Researcher includes the Science Series and Global Perspectives Series.
• SIRS Government Reporter: Provides information published by and about our federal government including reprints of U. S. Government Documents, U. S. Supreme Court Decisions, Justices' Directory, Congressional Committees, Historic Documents, Congressional Directory, and Federal Agency Directory.
  
  
  • U. S. Supreme Court Decisions provides hundreds of full-text case documents plus a Justices' Directory
  • Historic Documents contains selected full-text documents and speeches of "exceptional historic value."
  • Government Directories contains data on members of the U. S. Senate and House of Representatives through the Congressional Directory and supplies contact and background information for hundreds of Federal departments and agencies through the Federal Agency Directory.
    
    
• SIRS Renaissance: Consists of full-text article reprints, many accompanied by full-color graphics, chosen to provide the most current information in the Arts and Humanities fields.
  

The WebSelect feature provides accompanying continually-reviewed links to most SIRS articles.

Information about: Places
Atlases and gazetteers are two important sources for geographical information. Other sources to utilize are general encyclopedias, yearbooks, almanacs, dictionaries, handbooks, and guide books.

• Atlases - are bound collections of maps. Current atlases and historical atlases are the two main types. Current atlases may have political, physical, economical and historical maps (and information) or may be limited to one or more of these types of maps. Historical atlases have maps showing the world or part of it at different periods.
• Gazetteers and geographical dictionaries - A gazetteer is a geographical dictionary. It gives descriptive material about places rather than map illustrations.
• General encyclopedias - differ in their treatment of geographical subjects. Some emphasize specific parts of the world, while others give more equal treatment to all countries. Because of this, it is generally best to consult more than one encyclopedia.
• Almanacs, geographic handbooks, and yearbooks - are excellent for basic data and statistical information. They can be used to update facts and figures from older reference sources.
• Periodicals - tend to treat small aspects of a geographical subject. National Geographic is a good example.
• Guidebooks - such as those published by Fodor, present current, detailed information and are excellent reference sources as well as travel guides.
• Specialized computer programs or databases - such as the Country Profile Browse in the SIRS Government database, provide extensive and current reference information.

• General encyclopedias - can give a good introduction to many subjects.
• Specialized computer programs or databases - such as Gale's Discovering Collection, will provide full text article reprints on drama, poetry and prose critiques; biographies of authors; and many complete texts.
• Specialized encyclopedias - will deal more extensively with particular subjects.
• Specialized dictionaries - define terms and frequently give other basic data.
• Handbooks - differ in their treatment of various aspects of a subject.
• Bibliographies - give listings of works.
• Yearbooks and Annuals - are useful as a source for yearly developments in many special fields.

Dictionaries

• Spelling - When two or more spellings are accepted, the first form is the preferred form.
• Pronunciation - Acceptable pronunciations are, also, listed in order of preference. Accent marks show which syllables are stressed. Guides to pronunciations are usually found at the front of the dictionary or at the bottom of each page.
• Grammatical information - Parts of speech are indicated by abbreviations. Examples are n., noun; a. or adj., adjective.
• Origin - The original sources and history of the word. Examples are ME, Middle English; OF, Old French.
• Definitions - If several definitions are listed, be aware of the standardized order used in the dictionary. In some, the most widely used definition will be listed first. In others, the original (or oldest) meaning will be listed first.
• Synonyms and Antonyms - Most dictionaries have synonyms, words similar in meaning. Some include antonyms, words opposite in meaning. (Not to be confused with a specialized dictionary, such as the Funk & Wagnalls Standard Handbook of Synonyms, Antonyms and Prepositions.)
• Restricted uses - Restricted uses of words is indicated by the use of abbreviations such
  as "Colloq.," meaning colloquial, or proper in ordinary or familiar conversation, but not in formal writing.
• Illustrations - Some definitions include corresponding illustrations. If the size of the illustration is important, a notation beneath the figure will be made.
• Foreign words - Foreign words are generally listed in alphabetical order in the main dictionary text. Occasionally, they may be contained in a separate section.
• Abbreviations - Abbreviations are generally in regular alphabetical order in the main dictionary text.
• Biographical and Geographical information - Dictionaries often have brief biographical information about well-known persons, listing them alphabetically (by last name first)
  in the main dictionary text. Geographical information entries, also, appear alphabetically when listed in the main text.
• Unabridged and Abridged - Unabridged dictionaries contain most of the words in a language. The abridged dictionary is a shortened dictionary which omits many words and shortens the definitions of others.

• Book Truck - a set of two or three shelves, mounted on wheels, for the temporary holding and transport of books and materials around the library.
• Call Number - letters, figures and symbols, separate or in combination, assigned to a book to indicate its location on the shelves. At AH/AA library, the classification number is from the Dewey Decimal Classification system.
• Catalog or OPAC - a computerized database of library materials in which entries can be accessed by author, title and / or subject.
• Circulating Book - a book that may be checked out and taken from the library for a specified period of time.
• Database - A regularly updated file of digitized information related to a specific subject or field. Content is created by the database which usually publishes a print version and leases the content to a database vendor which, in turn, provides electronic access to the data via the Internet.
• Dewey Decimal Classification - the classification scheme for books devised by Melvil Dewey, which divides human knowledge into ten main classes, with further decimal division, using a notation of numbers. It is the most widely used system of classification in American public libraries and is utilized in this school library.
• Fiction - narrative prose literature, with events, characters and scenes wholly or partly the product of the imagination, as novels and short stories. These books often do not have the Dewey Decimal numbers, but are arranged by the author's last name.
• Fine - a sum of money charged for overdue materials in the library.
• Periodical- a publication issued at regularly recurring intervals, such as a magazine or journal.
• Reference - materials designed to be consulted for definite items of information, rather than to be read consecutively and their use restricted to the library building. These materials are marked with an R above the call number.
• Vertical File- a case of drawers in which a collection of pamphlets, pictures, clippings and similar material may be kept for ready reference. At AH/AA library, vertical file materials consist of fully cataloged, locally gathered information, are designated by VF, and must be used in the library.
• Web Page - an electronic document written in HTML script, stored on a server and accessible using Web browser software. A Web page may include links to other files on the Internet. See http://www.lib.duke.edu/libguide/evaluating_web.htm.