Library Guide for Children's Services
Contents

INTRODUCTION
DO YOU UNDERSTAND YOUR TOPIC?
ARE YOU LOOKING FOR BOOKS ON YOUR TOPIC?
USE THE CATALOGUE
BROWSE THE LIBRARY SHELVES
ARE YOU LOOKING FOR JOURNAL ARTICLES ON YOUR TOPIC?
BROWSING JOURNALS
USING DATABASES
INTRODUCING WEBLINKS

INTRODUCTION

This guide will help you locate information in the area of Children's Services. You may need to use both print and electronic resources to obtain the information you need. The guide is an introduction only and students should ask Library staff for assistance if needed.

DO YOU UNDERSTAND YOUR TOPIC?

Dictionaries and encyclopaedias are a good starting point for research. They give definitions and provide background material that will assist you in understanding your topic.

Dictionaries and encyclopaedias with general subject coverage are found on the library shelves at 030.

ARE YOU LOOKING FOR BOOKS ON YOUR TOPIC?

Books provide detailed information on a subject. You can locate them by using the Library catalogue or browsing the shelves.

USE THE CATALOGUE

To locate material (including books, magazines and videos) use the terms from your topic in a general keyword search of the Library catalogue. For a more structured approach use the following headings for a subject search of the Library catalogue.

Child abuse
Child care
Children
Children - Health and hygiene
Children - Nutrition
Children's songs
Communication in day care centers
Creative activities and seat work
Day care centers
Family day care
Games
Montessori method of education
School-age child care
Toddlers

BROWSE THE LIBRARY SHELVES

By browsing the Library shelves you can get an idea of what the Library has in your area. Dewey numbers that you may find useful in the Children's Services area are:

ARE YOU LOOKING FOR JOURNAL ARTICLES ON YOUR TOPIC?

Journals are also known as magazines, serials and periodicals.

Journals provide up to date information and cover recent developments in that subject area. For some areas they are the best source of information.

To locate journal articles you can browse (look through whole issues), or search for journal articles in databases.

BROWSING JOURNALS

Some journals that may be useful in the Children's Services area are:

Check the catalogue or with Library staff to see if these or other journals are held in your Campus Library.

USING DATABASES

Databases are electronic indexes to journals and other resources. Some databases offer the full text of the article whilst others will provide only information about articles.

An electronic database that may be useful in the Children's Services area is:

Australian Public Affairs - Full Text

Information on accessing databases is available from campus libraries.

ARE YOU LOOKING FOR INFORMATION FROM THE INTERNET?

INTRODUCING WEBLINKS

The Internet provides access to a vast amount of information. Websites providing this information range from reliable and authoritative to less reputable sites. Weblinks is a collection of websites, covering a range of topics, selected by North Coast Institute library staff for their relevancy and reliability.

Some Weblinks topics that you may find useful are:

Child abuse
Child care education
Child development
Parenting

Or you can select from the Weblinks for Children's Services

For further assistance in locating information, or using some of the sources listed in this guide, take a look at Searchpath an online research tutorial, or contact library staff.