To get the most value for your time spent in the
library, master the basics of library use. The basic
“finding tools" are the card catalog, .he online cata
log and the serial holdings list.
• FINDING BOOKS The card catalog located
on the first floor is divided into an author-title catalog
(white labels) and a subject catalog (orange labels).
To find books, look up an author, title or subject,
copy the call number and consult a Location Guide
at the Reference Desk to see which floor houses
that call number.
• MEET ALIS If you prefer, you may search
authors and titles using the computer terminals in
the catalog area. This system is our online catalog
and is called ALIS. In addition to the call number and
location of materials, ALIS will also tell you if the
book you want is charged out or on the shelf. You
can search for authors and titles only; subject
searching is not yet available on ALIS. For your con
venience ALIS terminals are available on each floor
of the Library.
• FINDING JOURNALS To identify which
magazines, journals, newspapers, yearbooks, etc.
the Library receives and where they are located,
consult the Serial Holdings List on microfiche.
These microfiche cards are located in the stands
next to each microfiche reader. Microfiche readers
are located in the catalog area, on each floor and at
all service desks. To use the Serial Holdings List,
look up alphabetically the title of the journal on the
'rritcTofiche. The ca\\ numbeT and tocaVion are printed
to the left of the title. Older, bound issues of most
journals are shelved in the stacks. Consult a Loca-
tioh Guide to find correct floor. Recent, unbound is
sues for most journals are in the Current Periodicals
Department (CPD) on the first floor and are ar
ranged by call numbers.
• USING INDEXES When you need a mag
azine or journal article on a particular subject, con
sult the indexes in the Reference Division on the first
floor. These indexes are arranged alphabetically by
title on numbered tables. Evans Library has over
400 indexes available in specific subject fields. Ask
to see the INDEX TO INDEXES available at the Ref
erence Desk to determine which index would be
most helpful for your topic.
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Checking Out Books
To check out a book, bring it to the Circulation
Desk on the first floor and present a current, valid li
brary card. Personnel in the Circulation Department
will issue or update library cards for you.
With a few exceptions, all stack materials circu
late. Normal loan period is two weeks for students
and one month for faculty and graduate students.
Bound issues of magazines and journals may be
checked out from the Reference Desk on the first
floor for a four hour period.
Evans Library does not charge fines for overdue
materials except for items that have been recalled
Asking for Help...
You have a research project and you’re not sure
where to start, or perhaps you are in search of an
obscure publication. Whatever the need, never
hesitate to ask for help. Typically our reference staff
answers more than 500 questions daily. With their
special training, librarians can help you plan your re
search strategy, refer you to the best information
source, or locate hard-to-find materials. You have
the benefit of immediate professional help while
learning skills you can put to use in future research
assignments.
The main, centralized Reference Desk is located
on the first floor. Other help desks can be found on
the second floor in the Government Documents Di
vision, the Microtext Department and the Map
Room, and on the sixth floor in the Learning Re
sources Department. Intercom telephones located
on the third, fourth, fifth and sixth floors allow you to
communicate with the reference staff when you
need help on those floors.
All reference desks have instructional handouts
available to make your search for information a little
bit easier.
for another user. A lost book must be paid for or re
placed with an identical copy. A non-refundable
processing fee is charged when the book is lost. A
complete copy of the Circulation Policy is available
at the Circulation Desk.
If you cannot locate material that is supposed to
be on the shelf, check ALIS to see if the book is
charged out. If necessary, fill out a Locate Card at
the Circulation Desk and the Library will call you
when the material has been located. If another user
has the book you need, fill out a Recall Card and
you will be notified when the book is returned.
Special Treasures
• ARCHIVES is a rich source of information on
the history and growth of Texas A&M University and of
Texas. Old Aggie football films to early student uni
forms are among its unique keepsakes. The papers of
Texas public officials such as Congressman Olin E.
Teague and former Speaker of the House Bill Clayton
are included in its numerous collections. Access to Ar
chives is through the West entrance of the original
building called the Cushing Building.
• SPECIAL COLLECTIONS DIVISION houses
unique collections of national importance to students
and scholars in the humanities. Among its treasures
are the Science Fiction Research Collection, the Jeff
Dykes Range Livestock Collection and the Loran L.
Laughlin Collection of Rare Antiquarian Books. Such
collections provide scholars with rare and original
material for research. Special Collections also offers
art treasures including the Western Illustrators Collec
tion and the Mavis and Mary Kelsey Collection of
Americana with prints by Winslow Homer and Frederic
Remington. Although all items are kept in closed
stacks, researchers may use them in the reading room
in the Special Collections Division on the second floor
of the Library.
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Computerized Information Searches
If you need very current data, or if you need arti
cles on a topic which combines two or three main
ideas, a computerized literature search may stream
line your research. Students themselves can search
hundreds of databases to produce lists of articles,
books, proceedings, reports, and government docu
ments on the specific topic requested. Evans Library
offers a variety of search systems to meet the needs
of faculty and students.
• AIRS The Automated Information Retrieval
Service, a fee service, provides customized
searches of the literature in a broad range of topics.
The computer systems used by the AIRS staff allow
users to search recent information in over 300 in
dexes, abstracting services and directories. AIRS is
the most sophisticated and complete of the services
and might be appropriate for a major project. Costs
vary, but a typical AIRS search can cost between
$25 and $50. AIRS is located on the first floor of the
Library, Room 110.
• BRS/AFTERDARK is a do-it-yourself com
puterized search system which searches and re
trieves bibliographic information according to your
instructions. Literally millions of citations may be
searched for information pertaining to your partic
ular interest. Students perform their own searching
after reading an instruction manual. A minimum
charge of $2.50 per search is assessed. Check
with the reference staff for more information.
THE JAMES AND VIRGINIA WILEY LASER
DISK SERVICE uses laser disk technology to pro
vide access to a variety of databases covering
such fields as agriculture, psychology, business,
current events, education and more. There is no
fee for this service.
WILSEARCH allows the user to search in
dexes such as the Reader’s Guide to Periodical
Literature, Education Index, Art Index, Social Sci
ences Index, and others. There is currently no fee
for this service. Make an appointment to use the
service in the Reference offices on the first floor.
• PATENT SEARCHES Because Evans
Library is a patent depository, the Library has ac
cess to CASSIS, an online service provided by the
Patent and Trademark Office. CASSIS contains all
U.S patent numbers which will lead the user to full
text patents on microfilm cartridges. CASSIS can
provide a current list of patents by class/subclass.
Contact the Government Documents Division on the
second floor for more information.
Computers, Reserves
Movies & More
If you need to use a computer, videocassette player,
movie projector or other audio-visual equipment, visit
the Learning Resources Department (LRD) on the sixth
floor of the Library. Make an appointment and present
your student ID and use any of the two hundred plus mi
crocomputers available including Apples, TRS-80's,
Balcones, IBM-PC’s and others. The LRD provides user
assistance on microcomputers as staff time permits.
Self-teaching materials are available in various formats.
Each semester the LRD also offers fee-based
workshops in word processing and microcomputer use.
In addition to equipment, the LRD contains audio-vi
sual materials which support the teaching and re
search of the University. The collection contains re
corded drama, including the complete plays of
Shakespeare and materials in the field of history, politi
cal science, anthropology, biology, education and oth
ers. The LRD does not have a collection of recorded
music.
The LRD can borrow, free of charge, materials from
the Texas State Library videocassette collection of ed
ucational and entertainment programs. Their catalog is
available in the LRD.
Materials in this department can be identified in the
card catalog on the first floor. The location stamps
"Multi-Media” or “Learning Resource” will appear
above the call number to indicate the item is located in
the LRD.
Most audio-visual material can be checked out for
two weeks with the exception of 16mm films which are
limited to 3-day checkout. Microcomputer software
does not circulate. Audio cassette players can be
checked out for two weeks. All other playback equip
ment is used in the LRD only. Viewing rooms and
booths are available.
If your instructor tells you material has been placed
on reserve, you will need to go to the Reserve Depart
ment on the first floor in Room 118. Reserve materials
are books, journals, articles, and other required read
ings for a class. A limited number of quiz files are also
kept on reserve.
A call number is necessary to request reserve
material at the service desk in the Reserve Room. To
obtain the call number, use the ALIS terminal and enter
course name, course number, instructor or title.
The majority of reserve material may be used only in
the building. Borrowing times for materials are deter
mined by the faculty member placing the material on
reserve. A stringent fine policy is designed to encour
age borrowers to return materials promptly.
Essential Sources
Government Documents
Evans Library is designated as a federal depository li
brary which means the Library receives the majority, of
books, pamphlets, reports and other materials published
by the U.S. Government. This enormous body of material
is a valuable source of information for research. Texas
State documents are also housed in this division. The
Technical Reports Collection, another part of the Docu
ments Division, includes scientific and technical reports
with emphasis in the areas of oceanography, water re
sources and transportation. The Government Documents
Division has its own card catalog and reference desk on
the second floor of the Library. Material in this collection is
not cataloged in the main catalog.
Microtext Department
A gold mine of information, the Microtext Department
houses about three million documents in microform in
cluding microfilm, microfiche, and microprint. Newspaper
indexes are located in this department along with some
3,500 newspaper and magazine titles. The collection also
includes college and university catalogs, education
materials on ERIC, financial reports, engineering catalogs
and industrial standards. Consult the card catalog found in
the Microtext Department on the second floor to accu
rately identify microform holdings.
Paper reproduction of most microforms can be pro
duced by the Department at $.20 per copy or by the user
at coin-operated copiers for $. 15 per copy.
Map Department
Atlases, gazetteers, and aerial photographs are found
in the Map Department along with street and road maps,
nautical charts, aeronautical charts and sheet maps. The
Map Department is located on the second floor of the li
brary, Room 205.
Current Periodicals (CPD)
Approximately 8,000 journal and periodical titles and
200 newspaper titles are located in the Current Periodi
cals Department on the first floor of the Library in Room
119. Only the most recent unbound issues of journals and
magazines are located in CPD. Generally, CPD materials
do not circulate.