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Accessing Resources: Where Do I Start?: Finding Books

This guide will teach students how to access information using various library resources and how to insert the information into their research papers.

SORA for ebooks/eaudiobooks

Access ebooks/eaudiobooks for school assignments or just for fun, using SORA.   Users can check out all of ERMHS Library's Digital Resources.  In addition, the collections at our three local public library systems, NYPL, BPL and QPL are available to you (if you link those accounts).  

How do I get started? On your browser, use soraapp.com or download the free Sora app on your phone:

  1. Tap NYC Public School and sign in

  2. Click continue

  3. Log in with NYCDOE account

I Need To Find Book Sources For My Research

  • Think about your topic, in general terms. Think of some descriptive terms (keywords) from your broad topic.  Enter the term and click "Keyword."  Look at the list of books on your search results.  Identify a few titles that you're potentially interested in.  
  • Find the book(s) on the shelves by the call number on the spine of the book.  
  • Look in the book for the Index (usually at the back of the book).  The Index is an alphabetical listing of the books' contents. Also look for the Table of Contents (usually at the front of the book) which lists Chapter Content.
  • Consider these questions:  Are the contents of the book what you need?  The whole book or just a few chapters?  Is the date of publication relevant to your search? (copyright or publication information is on the Copyright Page, usually found on the back of the Title Page.

Books

Non-fiction  books are classified by subjects and given a number according to that subject.  Under that number will generally be the first three letters of the authors name. 

 

Biographies

are denoted with a "B" or "BIO," followed by the last name (or first 3 letters of the last name) of the person about whom the book is written.

Call Numbers

A CALL NUMBER IS THE BOOKS' "ADDRESS."   YOU WILL FIND IT ON THE SPINE OF THE BOOK.

      NON-FICTION CALL NUMBERS  

        BIOGRAPHY CALL NUMBERS