Mansfield Library Subject Guides
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Successful Researching and Writing:
Finding Media
Contact: Media Librarian, Tammy Ravas, 406-243-4402
Videos, DVDs, films, CDs, audio tapes and records are all located behind the Information Center. Because the media collection is not browseable, a call number from the card catalog is needed in order to access any media item.
- Start by going to the library’s
home page and select the Catalog.
- Click on Set Limits in the lower right corner of the page.
- Select the media format (i.e. Video and DVD or Audio) from the second
box down, Format Limits, and click on Set Limits.
- Enter keywords, authors, titles or subjects in the Basic or Advanced
Search.
- Use the call number listed on the results page to request the desired media item from the Check Out desk at the Information Center.
Additional Suggestions
- Media items use call numbers that signal their formats: DVD uses
DVD before the number, Videos have VT before their numbers, Tapes
have AT for Audio Tapes, CDs have CD and records have LP before their
numbers. These letter designations are part of the call numbers. These
letter designations can also be used as keywords in order to limit
a search further. For example, using VT as a keyword in the DVD and
video limited search would only bring up videos as results, not DVDs.
- There is a drop-down box above the results labeled with “Sort
By”. Select “Publish Date Descending” to view the
results with the newest titles listed first.
- When viewing an individual item’s catalog record, select “Long
View” to see a more complete record. For videos and DVDs this
record often includes a summary of the movie’s subject or plot,
for CDs, records and music audio tapes, it often includes a list of
songs titles that are included on the item.
- Library of Congress subject headings are also helpful in searching
for media items. The keyword “audiobooks” entered as a
subject will bring up the library’s collections of books on
tape and CD. The subject heading “feature films” will
bring up a listing of the library’s feature length films.
Back to Successful Researching and Writing
8 July 2004