Library Skills & Knowledge
To take you from
High School to College
Using a Library Catalog
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At college or University, books are arranged using the
Library of Congress Classification system.
http://www.loc.gov/catdir/cpso/lcco/
It is similar to the Dewey Decimal system, except that
it uses letters and numbers to subcategorize subject
areas.
It is universally used in Universities and Colleges.
When you are looking for a book, you can search the
catalog by Author, Title or Subject. Once you find
an appropriate book, you will get a Call Number,
which is the “address” of the book on the shelves.
Once you have the call number, find the shelf with
that range of letter/numbers in the stacks, and get
your book.
Two types of Resources
Books
• Published, edited,
reviewed
• Broad/comprehensive
information on a topic
- comprehensive
• Mostly viewpoint of
one or more author
• Currency not as
important
Journals
• Published, edited,
reviewed
• Narrow or specific
analysis on a topic –
limited
• Mostly viewpoint of
one author
• Currency important –
published frequently –
important in university
research
Scholarly or Peer Reviewed
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Published – edited and peer
reviewed
Replicated, scrutinized,
reviewed & critiqued by
respected authorities in the
field
Not for profit – usually
subsidized by a scholarly
organization
Ongoing scholarship in a
multitude of fields
Review process takes time &
thought
Popular
Can be published – authors
often on staff/journalists
• Reviewed only in-house by
an editor
• For profit – commercial
• Whatever’s popular, trendy
or will sell copies
• Instant response/comment
on events
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Scholarly or Peer Reviewed VS
popular Sources
Reading to build knowledge
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It is expected that you will read assigned
materials to build your knowledge of the
subject area.
This is different from reading for content.
Although understanding of content is
important, your reading at college should
facilitate the expansion of your knowledge,
your ability to synthesize ideas from a
number of sources and capacity to “play with
ideas” and offer new insight.
https://northsurreylibrary.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/social-justice12-wage-gap.pdf
Online Databases
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An Online Database is a comprehensive collection of information in
electronic form and organized for quick retrieval. Typically it is
comprised of a large collection of encyclopedia, magazine, and/or
newspaper articles, and occasionally other media such as
transcripts, interviews, maps, historical documents, photos and
videos. Databases, like encyclopedias can be general or subject
specific.
Importantly, information contained in published articles has gone
through some degree of editing. That means knowledgeable people
from the field have reviewed and edited the information before it is
published. We call this process refereeing.
You cannot Google these articles – they are available only through
subscription.
Through your University/College Library, you will have access to
many online databases. Check the catalog or with your librarian.
To access our databases go to: Surreyschools.ca >Students
>Homework Help >Digital Resources >Secondary
Google
Database
Search Engine
• “Free” – as long as you have
a computer and internet
access
• Limited – approximately 3%
of the internet
• Anyone, can say anything,
anytime!
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Curated collection of
published information
Subscription paid for by
Library
Comprehensive and subject
specific
Published, edited and peer
reviewed
Google vs Library Database
Critically Evaluating Webpages
University professors expect only
credible websites for research
You must learn how determine if
information is accurate, reliable and
from a respected source
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Accuracy
Author indicated?
Qualifications indicated?
Can you contact him/her?
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Authority
Is the publishing institution indicated?
Purpose of publishing institution indicated?
Is this website attached to an “institution”?
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Objectivity
Are the goals/objectives of the page met?
Is the information comprehensive or complete?
Are there opinions expressed by the author?
Currency
Is the page dated?
Has the page been updated?
Are the links up-to-date?
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Coverage
Do the links compliment the page?
Is there a balance of text & images?
Is the information presented cited correctly?
https://northsurreylibrary.files.wordpress.co
m/2012/09/evaluating-webpages-3.pdf
Plagiarism
Citing Sources
Whenever you use someone else’s ideas or data in your work, you must give
them credit. Failure to give credit is call Plagiarism.
• You give credit to your source by using a specific citation style: MLA
(Modern Languages Association), APA (American Psychological
Association) etc.
• At the beginning of your course, your instructor will give you a course
outline which will indicate which style you are to use.
• Citing a source is very technical; the style format used demands that you
use required information in a specific order, accurately punctuated.
• Douglas College has a great handout entitled Plagiarism How to Avoid It,
accessible here:
http://library.douglascollege.ca/~/media/7B07E4D717074B02AB9091B033D6
843E.ashx?la=en
https://northsurreylibrary.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/citing-sources-quickguide.pdf
Plagiarism
Summarizing and Paraphrasing
To Summarize means to put a main idea
into your own words. It is a succinct, brief
overview.
https://northsurreylibrary.files.wordpress.com/
2012/09/summarizing.pdf
 To Paraphrase also means to put your
source material into your own words. It is a
condensing of a broad section of the original
source.
https://northsurreylibrary.files.wordpress.com/
2012/09/paraphrasing.pdf
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In-Text Citations
Parenthetical References or In-Text Citations are references
placed within the body of your writing that document ideas,
information, data, opinions and quotations that you have
taken from your sources. Remember, you must always
give credit to the authors whose ideas or information
you have used in your Works Cited List and in the body
of your writing through In-Text Citations. The In-Text
Citation and the Work Cited List are linked and it is clear to
the reader from where/whom the idea or information came.
https://northsurreylibrary.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/in-textcitations3.pdf
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Kwantlen University guide
http://libguides.kpu.ca/c.php?g=183915&p=1212581
Bibliography
A Bibliography or Work Cited List is the list of sources you have used to
obtain information and/or ideas for your work (written or otherwise)
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Any information you obtain from another source, published or not, must
be cited (including images)
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Plagiarism can get you put on academic probation or expelled
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A very specific and rigid format must be followed
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Your instructor will tell you which format is to be used: eg. MLA, APA,
Chicago
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Kwantlen University citation guide http://libguides.kpu.ca/citations
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MLA style example:
 Author last name, author fisrt name. Title. City where
published:Publusher, date.
 Slover, Tanya.The Instant Genius: an indispensable handbook for
know-it-alls. Los Angeles:General Publishing Group, 1998.
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https://northsurreylibrary.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/citingsources-quick-guide.pdf
The Research Question
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Sometimes you will be given topics to research, sometimes
you will have to create your own
You must read widely and understand the topic well –
opposing viewpoints, major researchers/writers in the field
A Research Paper involves:
Critical thinking
Source evaluation
Exploration & interpretation of primary & secondary sources
Organization & composition are critical
Not an informed summary – interpretations & a
unique perspective on issues are offered
OWL at Purdue
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/658/1/
Thesis Statement
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Must be debatable – it is a claim that is argumentative or persuasive
Must be narrow & clear – supported by academic evidence
Types of claims
 Claims of fact or definition – is something an established fact
 Claims of cause and effect – often supported by data, one event
caused another to occur
 Claims about value – the subjective worth of an event or issue
 Claims about solutions or policies – argue for or against a
certain solution
 OWL at Purdue
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/545/01/
 Ddouglas College
https://www.douglascollege.ca/~/media/BA0F480C2C734758B7C66D5
5F44CF94B.ashx
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Post-Secondary Writing
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Different kinds of writing
Analytical – evaluates an issue or idea by considering component parts
Expository – explains an issue or idea
Argumentative – supports a stated claim by using evidence
Presenting an argument – one method is the Toulmin Method
Claim – overall thesis
Data – evidence to support claim
Warrant or bridge – how the data supports the claim
Backing – additional logic to support claim
Counterclaim – what are counter arguments
Rebuttal – addressing the counter arguments
OWL at Purdue https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/1/2/
Technical writing standards are also important. For example, MLA offers a style
guide for setting up your writing on the page.
https://northsurreylibrary.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/writing-standards-for-socialstudies-papers.pdf
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Organizing your research
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Organizing your ideas and research is one of the most
difficult aspects of essay writing.
Create an Outline of your essay before you begin.
Create a Thesis Statement
List the “reasons” why this statement is true.
Now, each of these “reasons” is used to create a Topic
Sentence and Body Paragraph.
Finally write a concluding paragraph, restating your thesis
and summarizing your arguments.
Douglas College has a great tutorial, Making an Outline from
the Top Down, which can be accessed here:
http://www.douglascollege.ca/~/media/F6560411057D4E5BAFD
2D5261AC1980A.ashx?la=en
Study Skills & Time management:
You are responsible for your own success
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Keep a planner – schedule everything
Keep your notes organized – learn a note taking system
Sticky notes & highlighters very useful
“Thinking early leads to starting early.” – don’t put off what
you need to do
Break work down into small, achievable chunks
Have a quiet, organized place to study and turn-off the social
media
Know your study style – what works for you
Take breaks
Exercise and eat well (not too much coffee!)
Get help when you need it
Procrastination only pays off now!
The class
 Lectures
are designed to provide you with
enough background to support your
learning.
 Instructors in college and university just
touch on the highlights in class.
 You are expected to learn from your
reading, not just content but knowledge.
 Exams will include questions on lecture
material as well as material you were
expected to learn on your own.
Ask a Librarian
Ask a Librarian!
Thank you!
This presentation was created by
Martha Cameron, North Surrey Secondary
Maureen McDonough, Semiahmoo Secondary
This presentation is available online through the
North Surrey Library website,
www.northsurreylibrary.com
Click on Student Toolkit, then Library Skills and Knowledge