Questions tagged [library]
Questions about libraries, librarians, and the resources and services they provide.
46
questions
3
votes
1answer
69 views
Is it possible to get a book category based on ISBN?
Libraries organize non-fiction books in category with sub-categories, using a hierarchical system, that makes it possible to find books on a specific subject.
Is there some lookup service, for example ...
1
vote
2answers
197 views
Is there a database of publications for nearly all major disciplines? [closed]
Google scholar is an excellent service for looking at basic metadata about publications (e.g. authors, title, abstract, and papers it cites). But they do not offer an official API (free or otherwise).
...
2
votes
0answers
43 views
Subject or object in the Dewey Decimal Classification
I'm not sure I understand how the Dewey Decimal Classification works. Do the numbers relate to the object or subject of the book?
The confusion I have comes from the fact that in my faculty library, ...
0
votes
3answers
166 views
Dealing with softcover textbook curling? [closed]
So, I’m a postgraduate student, and I checked a softcover textbook out of my university library for my personal studies. When I pulled it out of my bag today, I noticed that the bottom corner (on the ...
2
votes
3answers
164 views
Obtaining a non-digitized thesis
I have been trying for a few weeks now to obtain a published thesis (this one, if you're wondering), but have had no luck in doing so.
There currently exists only one copy of this thesis, at the ...
1
vote
1answer
67 views
How to determine the merit of an encyclopedia?
Scholarly articles and books have citation counts (in for example Google Scholar), as do specific people in citation metrics such as the Arts and Humanities Citation Index. Even universities have ...
-2
votes
1answer
126 views
Going in person to a physical library [closed]
How often is an in-person visit to an academic library important? What means can normally only be accessed in-person?
How important is to consider an institution with a good physical library?
Should ...
4
votes
0answers
74 views
Definition of Book Classification [closed]
I understand that libraries can use a classification system like Dewey or LOC. Apparently, the decision as to how any particular book is classified, however, is made locally at each library. So this ...
34
votes
3answers
4k views
How to preserve a rare version of a book respecting the copyright as well?
Electromagnetism by EM Purcell is a classic book on electromagnetism. Luckily in my college library I found all the three editions of this book. After many months of observation, I found that the ...
12
votes
5answers
2k views
Is it appropriate to ask a former professor to order a book for me through an inter-library loan?
I am not a member of an academic institution right now, but am working on a paper for publication, partly to improve my prospects for admission to PhD programs after a long gap in my education. Two ...
-6
votes
2answers
341 views
Why are academic libraries public? [closed]
According to the Global Library Statistics the United States consists of 3793 academic libraries with more than 7 million users. They are visiting their university library like other people the postal ...
3
votes
1answer
88 views
How widespread are electronic-only dissertations?
My university currently archives all our graduate dissertations as bound volumes in the library. We are considering dropping this practice and archiving them electronically only.
How common is this ...
3
votes
2answers
309 views
How to expedite? Compensation? University still hasn't provided alternative formats after 9 months
Facts
My visually impaired brother attends university ("UNI") in England. In Jul 2017, he requested Alternative Formats. As of Apr 11 2018, UNI's Library still hasn't contacted the ...
14
votes
1answer
445 views
Academic librarian: workplace characteristics, and comparison to T-T faculty job?
How do the mix of job duties, work environment, and other qualitative factors for academic librarians compare to those for tenure-track faculty? (Some academic librarians are tenure-track faculty, but ...
4
votes
1answer
70 views
How should work experience affect decision to get an MLIS (or another similar specialized Master's)? [closed]
The Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) degree is widely discussed as a potentially bad investment as a graduate level degree at this time because few programs are funded, it is rather ...
0
votes
1answer
77 views
How to access microfilm data at a university library in another country?
I am writing a research paper and need to access some data that was collected by someone long deceased. The university library that has this data is in another country, and has the data on microfilm. ...
3
votes
3answers
197 views
How does a departmental library decide what new books to order?
Who decides what books a department (say, of mathematics, at a public university in the US) shall order for its library? Is there usually a formal process?
I am somewhat surprised that I have found ...
4
votes
5answers
990 views
Is it immoral to read scientific articles if you find them as pdf on Google without having access to some official libraries? [duplicate]
I like to learn things even outside my university degree and I wonder if it is moral to read articles found online on blogs and other sources?
4
votes
1answer
322 views
What is the role of a University Archivist
I am wanting to know roughly what it is a university archivist does,
and what sorts of documents are in the collections they manage.
An acceptable answer would be "It varies wildly from institution ...
116
votes
5answers
11k views
If I request a paper through my university library, must they pay a substantial amount of money?
I was asked to referee a mathematics article, submitted for publication in a reputable journal. To evaluate it, I also wanted to look at a cited article which it claims to extend. Upon searching ...
1
vote
1answer
74 views
Search if a term already exists in an older research
My research led me to introduce a term that describes a certain group of web applications.
In order to ensure that the term does not already exist, I searched on IEEE, ACM and Elsevier libraries, ...
4
votes
1answer
201 views
Is there any forum or FB group where people would exchange academic literature? [closed]
Does anyone know any forum, FB group or other platform where students from different univerisites would exchange academic literature available in their libraries?
0
votes
1answer
123 views
Need a good, inexpensive app to catalogue journal articles and books [closed]
Like the title says, I'm looking for an inexpensive app or program that can catalogue both journal articles and books. I need something that has or can take input from an ISBN/QR/barcode scanner, and ...
1
vote
2answers
66 views
What are the steps for republishing imagery held in archives?
I want to reuse, in a new work, some period drawings and paintings that are held in various libraries and archives. Presumably this means paying for their time spent helping me. To make the process go ...
4
votes
1answer
326 views
If undergraduate Honor's Thesis printed/shelved in Alma-metar's library & checked out a number of times — does it count as “published” on a CV?
As an undergraduate, I joined the Honor's Program, and completed the program by conducting original research and writing an Honor's Thesis. That Honor's Thesis has since been printed and shelved in ...
40
votes
8answers
2k views
Literature searches in publications when you have limited access to journals
I'm currently at an institution that has a phenomenal library system. I think every journal article or book I've ever needed, no matter how old or obscure, was available to me. I consider myself ...
20
votes
4answers
3k views
Access to math papers
I graduated with my PhD in math two years ago, and I am no longer affiliated with a university. However I am still actively researching. Often it's possible to get papers on arxiv or directly from the ...
4
votes
2answers
496 views
Is there a way to check to which scientific journals a specific library has access?
Is there a way to check which journals are available in a specific library/university? For example, my university library has access to some, but not all, the scientific journals related to Machine ...
5
votes
2answers
354 views
How do you (digitally) catalog the books you've read over the years?
I wonder how you keep tracks of what you've been reading over the years. I'm not talking about things that are 'relevant' and 'precious' to your academic work (to that end, all hail to EndNote or ...
13
votes
3answers
4k views
How to effectively navigate a large library?
I am looking to decrease the time I waste looking for a book in the library. I generally know exactly what book I want, but not where in the library it is located.
(Finding out what book you want, is ...
23
votes
1answer
528 views
What exactly are academic librarians?
My apologies for the title of this question, but I didn't know how to turn it. The fact is this is actually a set of many small questions.
I have completed my postgraduate studies in France where, ...
6
votes
3answers
2k views
Experience with DeepDyve group plan?
I am currently looking for alternatives / provisional solutions to traditional journal subscriptions. The research institute (200+ researchers) I am working at has contracts with all the big players ...
3
votes
0answers
104 views
What do the anglo-saxons use as “soggettario”? [closed]
A soggettario (in Italian) is simply a list of subject headings: it's a kind of thesaurus, used both as manual/tool for cataloguing and for browsing subjects and finding all books in a certain subject ...
26
votes
4answers
3k views
Reference for annual journal subscription costs paid per university?
Is there any resource that lists how much each university pay in journal subscription fees? I am mostly interested in US universities (E.g. Harvard: $3.5M/year in 2014, MIT: $4M/year in 2006 for ...
1
vote
2answers
989 views
How should I ask for library services for literature review?
Early on the research planning process, I would like to make use of the services offered by public libraries. Including online library services, what is the best way they could help a student ...
3
votes
1answer
139 views
Paths to specialize in antique book and manuscript conservation and handling
I am not sure whether this is the best place to field this question but I assume Academia is a reasonable fit. If someone is interested, initially as a hobby, in the collecting, cataloguing, rebinding,...
6
votes
1answer
367 views
Do all US schools provide the same access to e-journal resources?
I recently took courses from several different schools, with different semesters in different parts of the US. When visiting the schools' library Web sites, I noticed that each offered a similar "...
8
votes
5answers
2k views
Can call numbers differ between libraries?
Suppose you have two libraries that use the same classification system and have not merged their respective databases. Could it be possible that the exact same book could be assigned different call ...
2
votes
1answer
255 views
Some collection of students' theses or dissertations [duplicate]
I want to looking for information in graduating level. Is there any collection or library which provide students' theses or dissertations of many universities? Googling just find library for each ...
1
vote
1answer
441 views
Fastest way to browse journal papers (from Web of Science)?
The search engine which I typically use to browse journal papers is WebofScience. It allows me to sort by times cited, and check out who cited what.
The problem is that to get to the actual article ...
5
votes
3answers
1k views
How do I find or request a copy of someone's thesis if this person did their work in mainland China?
I hope this question is appropriate for the forum here. I was hoping to locate and read a thesis outside of the United States, specifically for someone who went to a reputable University in mainland ...
8
votes
1answer
578 views
How to get access to university resources after graduation?
I'll get a B.S. in math this December and (hopefully) go to graduate school next fall. In the coming spring semester, I will stay around my undergraduate institution (in the U.S.), auditing classes, ...
18
votes
4answers
11k views
Has anyone heard of the “Central Library of Medicine Foundation”?
I recently got a request for an article I'm a coauthor on, which reads:
Dear Dr. NAME REMOVED:
My name is Victoria Hornos and I am contacting you on behalf of the
Central Library of ...
9
votes
2answers
197 views
How can I get copies of library of congress's archival manuscripts?
I require photocopies of "Archival Manuscript/Mixed Formats" from the Library of Congress. They have a collection from one author which has otherwise unpublished technical documents that are very ...
7
votes
2answers
392 views
Do community colleges have good math libraries?
Do community colleges have good mathematics libraries (with advanced books)? I am sure that it is different from place to place. I am interested to get some feeling of the general situation.
10
votes
2answers
308 views
Where can I borrow books that my own university's library doesn't have?
I need a book for my teaching and/or research, but my university's library doesn't have this book. I don't think I'll use it enough to justify spending money out of my own pocket to own it. What ...
