How To Find Books In The Library
How To Find Books in the Library
On any computer the Library Catalog can be found at the Follett Destiny selection webpage. Select Mesa Verde High School to open up the Library Catalog. You may search by keyword, title, author, subject, series or call number. Using the Library Catalog, you can determine where to find books in the Library by using the book’s call number. The call number, located on the lower spine of a library book, is basically like a book’s address, or where it lives on the shelf. The Library Catalog will also tell you the availability of books.
For a more visual interface showing books types and selections available, select the Destiny Discover link in the column on the left side of the webpage.
Fiction books can be defined as narratives or short stories in which all or some of the events, characters, or places are imagined. Fiction books are placed on the shelves in alphabetical order by the last name of the author under the abbreviation FIC. These books are cataloged under the following ten categories: (1) adventure (2) classics (3) fantasy (4) graphic novels / manga (5) historical (6) humor (7) mystery / suspense / thriller (8) relationships / romance / young adult (9) science-fiction (10) sports. These categories can be used as a Keyword when using the library card catalog (see the link above) when searching for a particular type of book. These are located on the wall next to the main entrance.
Story Collection books (short stories and narratives) are identified by the abbreviation SC and are located on the shelving along the South wall under the large windows.
Biographies and autobiographies are books written about particular people. Autobiographies, individual biographies, and collective biographies (books containing more than one biography) are also found in this area. These books are identified by the BIO abbreviation on the book spine. These can be found on the South wall under the large windows.
Non-fiction books are based on factual information, like technology, sciences, history, and the arts. All of these books are located on the vertical ‘stacks’ in the central area of the library. These books are organized by the Dewey Decimal System of Classification. They are organized by the following call number categories:
000-099 General works (includes encyclopedias)
100-199 Philosophy and Psychology
200-299 Religion
300-399 Social sciences
400-499 Language
500-599 Natural sciences and Mathematics
600-699 Technology (applied sciences)
700-799 The Arts, Sports, Music
800-899 Literature, Poetry
900-999 Geography and history
Reference books are a great way to begin research! They include general encyclopedias and subject-specific encyclopedias, and will often lead you to other great sources of information related to your search. You will also find dictionaries and other interesting fact books in this section. These are located along the shelving beneath the large windows on the West walls of the library facing the Quad. Reference books are also organized using the Dewey Decimal System, and are identified with REF above the call number on the spine label. Note that a lot of reference materials have moved online. The State of California provides three online reference programs to all students. Information on these program can be found towards to bottom of the webpage under the Recommended Research Starter Links in the library menu column. The clickable icons for these links are on the student portal 'My Apps' page.