FAQ

From Library Reference

Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions | Reference Questions

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General Questions

  • What is the patron ID number?

Your patron ID number is located at the back of your Bradley University Quick Card. The ID number sometimes begins and ends with the letter A but you should use only the number between the A's. It begins 21270xxxxxxxxx and is 14 numbers long.

  • What are the hours for the Library? Special Collections? the Music Resource Center? The Reserve Room?

Library hours are posted on the Library Web Site in the vertical bar at the left side of the home page under Hours

  • Where are the circulating books shelved?

Most circulating books (books that can be checked out) are shelved in the lower level (basement) of the library, organized by Library of Congress Classification System. Oversized books are shelved separately in the northeast corner of the basement. Best Sellers and selected new books are on the first floor atrium. Curriculum Materials Center on the second floor and Music Resource Center on the third floor also have circulating materials.

  • Where is the copycard machine?

The new printing system does not allow for Copy Cards. For more information on ways to print, please see the front desk

  • Where are the photocopy machines located?

1st floor: near Reserves and Circulation Desk. 2nd floor: by the elevator.

  • Where is the payphone?

There is no longer a payphone in the building

  • Where are the campus phones?

1st floor, 2nd floor, and lower level: by the elevator.

  • Where is the lost and found?

The Lost and Found area is located at the Circulation Desk.

  • Are there any typewriters available for use?

1st floor: near Technology Help Desk.

  • Where are the restrooms?

Restrooms on all floors: extreme right and left of the elevator (except on 3rd floor, where it is to the left only and in the basement, where there)

  • Where is the change machine?

The change machine is located on the wall just outside the cafe

  • Can reference books/journals be checked out?

Reference books/journals are only checked out to people affiliated with Bradley (faculty, staff, students). Faculty may check out journals for three days. Reference books are checked out only on request (with the approval of a reference librarian) and for brief periods of time. See the Reference Checkout Policy for details.

  • How many books may I check out at a time?

100 is the set limit on the amount of books you may check out from Bradley Library at any given time. In addition, you can check out books from other Illinois college libraries which have various policies. For more information, please see Borrowing from Bradley and Borrowing from Other Libraries.

  • Does the library have music recordings?

Yes, they are located in the Music Resource Center, 3rd floor. There are CDs, cassettes, and LPs, and VHS tapes, mostly of classical music.

  • Does the library have a scanner?

Yes, there is a scanner available in the Reserve Room, near the Laptop Desk.

  • Whom do I contact about job opportunities at the library?

Please see Employment Opportunities.

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Reference Questions

  • Where can I find journal articles?

Journal articles are available in various formats (print, online, and microfilm). Indexes to journals are available in the Library's Reference collection and via the Library's Web site, at the link titled, Journals, Magazines, and Newspapers. You can find out which print/microfilm journals the Library owns by using the Library Catalog and which online journals the library has access to in the A-Z journals list.

What is "Get It" button when I use journal indexes? See "Get It" get full text help page.

Where is your card catalog? The Library no longer has a functional card catalog. There is an online catalog which is accessible via the Library's Web site. Click on Library Catalog.

How do I know where to look for periodicals after I find citations in an index? If you are in the Library, you can look in one of the printed Holdings Lists, or you can use the Online Library Catalog to find out which Periodicals the Library owns. Locations for periodicals are listed in the holdings in both the print version and the Online Catalog.

Do you have all of the periodicals indexed by the indexes available? No, the Library has some of the periodicals listed in most of the indexes owned by the Library, but indexes generally cover a larger number of periodicals than any one library owns.

Where do I go to find a Supreme Court case? Supreme Court cases are published in many formats and are available in the Bradley Library in both paper and electronic formats. Printed versions of Supreme Court cases can be found in the Reference collection (U.S. Reports & United States Supreme Court Reports, Lawyer's Edition). Electronic versions can be found using LexisNexis Academic or Web search engines. For more help in finding legal cases or other legal information, visit the legal section of the Government Publications Web page.

What is the difference between a journal and a magazine? The term "journal" is generally used to distinguish a scholarly publication from one geared towards general readers. If you have been assigned to use journals by your instructor, he or she may have some specific guidelines or titles in mind. If not, you can generally find scholarly journals using either subject-specific periodical indexes or by choosing the peer-reviewed limiters available in some of the online periodical indexes.

What is a serial? A serial is a publication that is published at regular intervals, usually at least annually. For more detailed information on serials, visit the following American library Association Web site: Unraveling the Mysteries of Serials

How can I find refereed journals? Refereed journals (also called peer-reviewed journals) are listed in Ulrich's International Periodicals Directory (REF. Z6941 .U5). It is also possible to search for refereed or peer-reviewed journals in some of the online periodicals indexes accessible via the Library's Web site. Academic Search Premier and Expanded Academic ASAP are among the indexes that include this feature.

Are there classes or tours I can attend to learn more about the Library? Yes, classes and tours are scheduled every semester, and are listed in the IRT Seminar Planner, which is available both on the IRT Web page and in print at the Reference Desk. If you can't find a class or seminar that looks helpful, you may want to speak with the Instruction Librarian, Meg Frazier, at 677-3219. For more information on library instruction, visit the Library Instruction Web page.

Where can I get help with research questions? Visit or call the Reference Desk on the main floor in the Library. 677-3502. For more information on reference assistance, visit the Reference Web page.

I have been told to use primary sources for my research. What is a primary source? Where can I find primary sources in the library? A primary source is a direct report of an event or happening by a witness to the event or happening. Primary sources can take many forms. Some examples include trial transcripts, Congressional hearings, newspaper accounts, diaries, pictures or films, maps, interviews, letters, even cookbooks. In the Library, you can find primary source material in our newspapers on microfilm, in books (search in the Library Catalog for your subject and look for books that seem likely to contain such primary source materials as letters, diary entries, or copies of documents), and in government publications (a number of resources are available to help you find government publications, including GPO Monthly Catalog, and LexisNexis Congressional). Here are some links to more information on primary sources: Using Primary Sources in the Classroom, Library of Congress Learning Page http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/ndlpedu/lessons/primary.html Medieval Sourcebook: Why Study History Through Primary Sources http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/robinson-sources.html.

Page updated: August 18, 2009

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Don't See What You're Looking For?

If you didn't find the help you were looking for on this page, please call, e-mail, or append a comment to let us know what kind of research assistance you were seeking. We are here to help, and we want to know if our services could be made more useful. Thank you for helping us build a better Reference Service. For a list of who to contact, go to: http://library.bradley.edu/staff/liaison.shtml


You can access many of the Library's research resources from the Library's home page, at: http://library.bradley.edu/

--updated by Bryan Clark, baclark@bradley.edu, 3:07, 18 August 2009 (CDT)

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