LSCS Libraries | Research Guides | Research Guides - Montgomery |

Guide to the Library

Jump to a section of this guide . . .

Hours & Facilities

Services

Forms

Faculty and Staff

Library Home Page

Resources

Library Terms

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WELCOME

Welcome to the Lone Star College-Montgomery Library. We're glad you're here! If you learn to use this library, you'll more easily be able to use any library you encounter as you complete your education. The library faculty and staff can play a critical role as you work toward becoming a college graduate. Hang in there! You can do it, and we can help!

PURPOSE OF THE LIBRARY

The library provides high-quality information resources and services to the Lone Star College-Montgomery campus and surrounding community. These resources support and supplement LSC-Montgomery courses by providing additional explanations, perspectives, and details to give you a broader and clearer understanding of the topics covered in class. The library faculty members instruct individual students and entire classes about library resources, becoming familiar with them, and how to efficiently search them for the information you need. As with subjects such as math, science, and literature, there's much more to libraries and librarians than you think and much to learn about them. They can greatly contribute to your educational success, so don't overlook them!

THE LIBRARY CARD

LSC Library Card

Once you obtain a student identification card, it can serve the following functions:

1. Library card. To serve this function, you must have your ID activated. To activate it, either bring it to the Circulation Desk in the library, or call that desk at 936-273-7387.
2. Print and photocopy card. In the library, you can add money (bills only) to your ID card to pay for printing or photocopying.
3. Remote access to the library's research databases. For this purpose, your ID card MUST be activated. See 1 above.

The library-card application form is here:

http://www.lonestar.edu/library/card.htm#card

TexShare Card

You can also apply for a TexShare card that will allow you to borrow information resources from any TexShare public or academic library.

The TexShare-card application form is here:

http://www.lonestar.edu/library/texshare-card.htm

LIBRARY HOURS

The library's regular and holiday hours are available here: http://www.lonestar.edu/library/info.htm

LIBRARY FACILITIES

For your comfort and educational needs, the library provides the following facilities:

1. Group-study rooms. Groups have priority on a first-come-first-served basis.
2. Study carrels
3. Comfortable seating
4. Reading area
5. Wireless network
6. Computers See http://www.lonestar.edu/library/computer-policies.htm
7. Scanners
8. Photocopiers
9. Black-and-white printers
10. Color printer

LIBRARY SERVICES

Students

The services and resources the library provides to students include the following:

1. Information resources, laptop computers, and headphones to check out
2. Information resources available from other libraries
3. Research help from library faculty members
4. Printers, photocopiers, and scanners
5. Group-study rooms
6. Desktop computers for research See http://www.lonestar.edu/library/computer-policies.htm
7. Videos
8. Quiet places to study
9. Librarian chat
10. TexShare card
11. Conveniently located book drops

More about library services to students is available here: http://www.lonestar.edu/library/services-students.htm

Faculty

The services and resources provided to the faculty include the following:

1. A course-reserves collection to which items can be added
2. Library instruction for classes
3. Information resources available from other libraries
4. Research help from library faculty members
5. Opportunity to suggest information resources for the library collection
6. TexShare card

More about library services to the faculty is available here:http://www.lonestar.edu/library/services-faculty.htm

LIBRARY FORMS

For your convenience, the library provides several useful forms online. At the link below, you can, for example, request a library card, an item from another library, or, if you're a faculty member, instruction for your classes.

Find library forms here:http://www.lonestar.edu/library/services-forms.htm

LIBRARY FACULTY AND STAFF

The library staff is here to help you meet your information needs so you can graduate. The staff works at one of two important desks: The Circulation Desk and the Reference Desk.

Circulation Desk

Staff at this desk can:

1. Check out library materials to you
2. Check those materials back in
3. Activate your student ID. See 1 under THE LIBRARY CARD above.
4. Clear library fines you might have
5. Provide change for large bills so you can print or photocopy

Reference Desk

Faculty librarians work at this desk. Academic librarians typically have two master's degrees. Librarians can:

1. Help you form a research strategy
2. Help you narrow a broad research topic
3. Guide you to good sources of information
4. Show you how to search the library catalog
5. Show you how to search the research databases
6. Direct you to printers, scanners, photocopiers, and additional computers
7. Help you locate library materials on reserve
8. Contribute to your educational success

The library faculty and staff are listed here: http://www.lonestar.edu/library/15159.htm

LIBRARY HOME PAGE

This is the home page for all Lone Star College System (LSCS) libraries. It gives you access to the most important searchable information resources; library hours, locations, and services for various groups; guidelines and policies; chatting with a librarian; and much more. Here are links to the home page and a guide that shows what some of the main links lead to:

Home page: http://www.lonestar.edu/library/index.htm

Guide (document): http://www.lonestar.edu/departments/libraries/Library_Home-Page_Guide.docx

LIBRARY CATALOG

The library catalog (i.e., OPAC, online catalog) is the computerized version of a card catalog. For the most part, it allows you to locate information resources IN the LSCS libraries. However, some resources you can find with the catalog are not physically located in the library. eBooks and web sites are examples. Additional resources you can find with the catalog include the following:

1. Books (e.g., circulating, reference)
2. Magazines
3. Journals
4. DVDs
5. Music CDs
6. Audio books
7. Foreign-language materials
8. Maps
9. Items on reserve

NOTE: You cannot find magazine or journal articles using the library catalog. Use the research databases instead. See below.

This link provides you with information about how to search the library catalog: http://www.lonestar.edu/library/14914.htm

Physical resources in the library are arranged according to the Library of Congress (LC) Classification System, not the Dewey Decimal System. Here is a link to LC's classification of information resources: http://www.lonestar.edu/library/14921.htm

LIBRARY RESEARCH DATABASES

Research databases are huge collections of the electronic version of several reputable information resources that cover many topics. These resources include articles from newspapers, magazines, and journals; e-books; audio books; biographies; maps; videos; images; encyclopedias; and other reference works.

Here are the research databases arranged by subject. Several databases are listed within each subject: http://www.lonestar.edu/library/article-databases.htm

Here is an alphabetical list of the research databases arranged by their title: http://www.lonestar.edu/library/15174.htm

Here's how to access the research databases from your home: http://www.lonestar.edu/library/14900.htm

This page explains how to search the research databases (document): http://www.lonestar.edu/departments/libraries/SearchingArticleDBs.doc

Here are some time-saving database-search commands and techniques (document): http://www.lonestar.edu/images/Database_Search_Methods.doc

LIBRARY TERMS

As with many professions, librarians use specialized terms. Here's a list of library terms to help you "speak and understand the language": http://www.lonestar.edu/library/15556.htm