Books Intro
Books are a great source for background information. They are not such a great option for up-to-date statistics or cutting edge research because of the amount of time they take to publish. If you find a book that looks like it might be useful, look at the table of contents and index and try to find the topic keywords you identified. If you can't find your keywords, the book is probably not going to be helpful for your research. If the keywords are in certain chapters, you can identify which sections you'll want to read.
What is a call no.(number)?
A call no. is a series of letters and numbers that explains where in the library the item is located. Books are organized by similar subjects, so it can be helpful to look around at books on the library shelves near it to find other books that may also be what you are looking for.
Find Books in the Library
All materials in the library have a catalog record. Here is an example.
The location, call no., and status are displayed. The call no. is a series of letters and numbers that explains where in the library the item is located. Books are organized by similar subjects, so it can be helpful to look around at books on the library shelves near it to find other books that may also be what you are looking for.
Continue scrolling to read more information. The subject area is helpful to find other books that have the same or similar subject areas.
How to Read a Call No.
Example of a complete call number DA 36 .A55
| Line 1 | DA |
| Line 2 | 36 |
| Line 3 | .A55 |
Line 1 |
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Books are arranged in alphabetical order, by the letters on the first line of the call number. Example: first come all the D call numbers, then all the DA call numbers, then DB, etc. |
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Line 2 |
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Within the DA call numbers, books are arranged in number order. The numbers are arranged in numerical from low to high. |
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Line 3 |
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The letters are in alphabetical order. Then read the numbers, but BEWARE! The numbers are not whole numbers, they are decimal numbers. A55 is read as A .55. This is why A55 comes before A6 (A .55, A .6, A .65, etc.) |
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TOEFL, IELTS and Language Dictionaries
In addition to the required study guide texts for the TOEFL, the Alkek Library has lots of related books/eBooks to help you improve your reading, writing, and speaking skills.
The Alkek Library also offers a number of language dictionaries in a variety of languages:
TSIE Required Texts
TSIE lists two TOEFL titles required for the study program. The Alkek Library has these books in the collection and available for checkout from the 3rd floor Checkout Desk.
