I need a physical item in the library.
I know what item I want.
My item is a course reserve.
All items on course reserve are kept at the Information Desk on the first floor of the library.
If you know what course reserve item you need, simply go to the Information Desk with your ONU ID, which serves as your library card, and tell the person there what item you need.
If you don't know what course reserve item you need, you can search for course reserves on the library home page. Follow the instructions below.
Step 1: Select the "Course Reserves" button underneath the main search box on the library home page.
Alternately, if you are already on the KlondikeSearch page, you can select "Course Reserves" from the drop down menu in the search box or in the button at the top of the page.
Step 2: Search for items.
You can search by your professor's name. This will show you all of the items on reserve for all of that professor's classes. The screenshot below shows "Pullen" as an example search.
You can search by your course name. This will show you all of the items on reserve for that course. The screenshot below shows "Topics in Fiction" as an example search.
You can search by the subject of the course. This will show you all of the items on reserve for all courses in that subject. The screenshot below shows "English" as an example search.
Step 3: Narrow your search if necessary.
If you searched by professor's name or subject, you may see items on reserve for multiple different classes. To narrow the results list to items for your specific class, use the "Course Name" drop down menu in the left sidebar to select your class.
My item is a book, DVD, or other item.
To locate a physical item in the building, you will need three pieces of information: the location, the call number, and the status. You can find this information in the table under the item's publication information (indicated by the orange box in the screen shot below).
Check the status first, as this will tell you whether the item is currently checked out or not. If this box says "Available," then the item is not checked out and should be on the shelf. If this box lists a due date, then that means that the item is currently checked out by another patron and will not be available on the shelf.
Once you have confirmed that your item is available, check the "Location" box to see where in the library it is located. "HML" stands for Heterick Memorial Library. Most of the library's collections are located on the third floor.
After you have determined where your item is located, make a note of the call number in the middle box. A call number is a unique number that identifies a specific item. Items are placed on the shelf in numerical order based on their call number, so you will need to know your item's call number to find it on the shelf. Most of the items in Heterick's collections have call numbers based on the Dewey Decimal System. Click here for instructions on how to read Dewey Decimal numbers.
I don't know what item I want.
To search for items in the library, follow these steps:
1. Click on the "Library Catalog" button on the Heterick Library homepage, indicated by the yellow arrow in the picture below, and enter your search terms in the box (click here to learn more about how to create search terms). This will search the library catalog, which tells you what physical items--like books, CDs, and DVDs--are located in the library building.
2. Once you find an item you think will work, click on the title to see the full record for the item.
3. Look at the subjects, table of contents, and summary (indicated by the orange box in the image below) to learn more about the item and see if it will work for you.
4. If you decide you want the item, look at the box under the title (indicated by the orange box in the image below). The information in this box will tell you how to obtain the item. The first column, location, tells you what section of the building the item is in. This item is in the general collection on the third floor of the building. The second column, call number, tells you where on the shelf to find the item. Most of the items at Heterick use Dewey Decimal call numbers. Click here for instructions on reading Dewey numbers. The third column, status, tells you whether someone else has the item checked out. If the item's status says "Available," use the location information and call number to find the item in the building.
5. If you cannot find what you need at Heterick, try searching in OhioLINK. Click here for more information about OhioLINK.
How to Read Dewey Decimal Call Numbers
Dewey Decimal call numbers always start with a three digit number. These are put on the shelf in numerical order as ordinary whole numbers. So, for example, this book, whose call number begins with the number 791, would be located after books whose call numbers start with 790 and before books whose call numbers start with 792.
Following the three digit number is usually a decimal point along with anywhere from one to a dozen or more digits. These are put on the shelf in numerical order as decimal numbers, that is, digit by digit. This can sometimes cause “smaller” numbers to come after “larger” ones. For example, this book, which has the number 4375 after its decimal point, would be located before a book whose call number was 791.582. Even though 4,375 is greater than 582, this book still comes first, because 5 is greater than 4.
After the decimal comes a capital letter followed by one or more digits, which are then sometimes followed by one or more additional letters. For example, this book's call number has the letters and numbers M135s. The initial capital letters are put on the shelf in alphabetical order. The numbers are organized in numerical order as decimal numbers. The final letter or letters also follow alphabetical order.
