How to Navigate the Library

Anne Cox, Instruction Librarian

Emma Fernandez, Instruction Librarian

Libraries can be overwhelming. This guide is designed to help you navigate and use the Stephens College Library.

The library supports the instruction, community and mission of Stephen College. By acquiring scholarly resources, offering research help, and applying new information technologies, we are able to provide excellent service to our users.

Stephens College Library includes thousands of print books, DVDs, as well as access to eBooks, journal articles, newspapers, and streaming video. The library also has computers, printers/scanners, a study room, and the college archives.

Have a question? The librarians are here to help!

In This Guide

The sources below are organized in the Stephens College Library according to the chart below:

  • Reference Books - Reference Area

    Fiction/Non-Fiction Books - Stephens Book Stacks, Online

    Reserve Books - Behind the Front Desk, ask a Librarian

  • DVDs - 1st floor, by the elevator

    eBooks - Online

    Journal Articles - Online

    Streaming Video/Audio - Online

  • type your search term into the Library Quick Search, hit enter, and then you will be able to refine your content by type. Or, ask a librarian!

 

About the Library

Main Floor:

  • Computers

  • Printers/Scanners

  • Study Room

  • Help Desk

  • DVDs

  • Books w/ P Call #’s: Literature

  • Popular Collection

  • “The Cage” - AV Closet

Upper Floor:

  • Gender & Sexual Minorities Resource Center

  • Black Cultural Resource Center

  • Books w/ all other Call #’s: A-O, Q-Z, Oversized (q or f)

  • Children’s and Schweitzer Collections

Main Floor

Second Floor

Overview

Library Databases

A database is essentially a container for published information such as journal, newspaper, and magazine articles, eBooks, as well as streaming video and audio. 

  • A database is either general or subject/discipline specific and is searchable by keyword, subject, author, or title.  

  • A library database will provide scholarly and peer-reviewed sources that are appropriate to use for academic research and writing. 

  • If you need help searching the databases, please ask a librarian! 

Check out our Databases A-Z or by Subject.

How to Find Books

Stephens College Library uses the Library of Congress (LC) classification system, which uses a combination of letters and numbers (call numbers) to arrange the books. 

The LC system is conducive to browsing as books of the same topic are generally shelved together. 

To the right, you can see how the LC system's call numbers work, if you were to look at a shelf of books.