These are some strategies for finding children's materials in the ERC. These hints are meant to help make you an efficient user of the ERC collection, but you shouldn't feel shy about asking one of the librarians in the ERC to assist you in your search. We're here to help!

How do I search for a specific title?
The best finding strategy is to type the title in the OPAC search bar and click the Title button. When doing this, it is all right to skip the initial articles (a, an, the) and there is no need to worry about capitalization. Computers are not very smart and don't actually care if the title is capitalized or not. For example, for the book The Talking Eggs, type in talking eggs.

How do I find a specific author?
The best finding strategy is to type in the author's name in the OPAC seach bar and click on the Author button. When looking for an author, type in the last name first then the first name. As looking for titles, you don't need to capitalize the names.

Why can't I find any books for my class assignment?
Although we have a lot of materials in the ERC, over 16,000 titles in the children's fiction and non-fiction area, we don't have an unlimited supply of every type of literature genre. Therefore, do your work early and return your books on time so others may also make use of them. You can always place a hold on items that are checked out (see below).

How to I find a book using Lexile or other reading measures?
In the OPAC, use the icon for Lexile to find a book at a given level. Note that the search defaults to looking at the given Lexile plus or minus 50 Lexile points. Books that are marked as NPL are reflective of texts that do not fit the mathematical model used for assigning Lexile levels. Other reading levels can be searched using a number (e.g. 4) and the keyword search button. Please be aware that this will bring up all records with that number (in this case, 4) whether or not it has to do with the reading level, therefore it is only a help in the search process, it is not a direct search.
What if my book doesn't have a Lexile?

How do I find a book published by a particular date?
In the OPAC, typing in a search term, such as "fantasy," and then clicking on the keyword button instead of the subject button will result in a display of titles that can be sorted by date. Just be aware that a keyword search is different from a subject search (see below) and that your resulting list may include some titles that are not true matches to your search. If you are in the ERC, you can also go into the Book Examination Site and browse the latested publications in children's and young adult books.

How do I renew the items I have checked out?
Our items may be renewed during regular operating hours by calling our Circulation Desk, 302-831-2335. Please DO NOT try to renew items over email or by leaving a voice-mail message with one of the librarians. Additionally, if you are in the building, you may renew your items even if you don't have them with you by simply coming to the Circulation Desk and requesting to renew. Please note, we will not renew items that have been requested by other ERC patrons.

How do I place a hold on an item from my home/dorm?
Once you locate a title that you want on the OPAC, click the button on the upper right hand corner of the record labeled "E-mail Request" you will be prompted for your name and email address. If you know your ERC patron number you may also enter that information in the request, but DO NOT enter your social security number, our site is not secure. Repeat this process for each item you want to have placed on hold for you. You will be notified via email when your items are ready for you to pick up, usually within one working day (M-F) of the request.

What's the difference between a keyword search and a subject search?
A keyword search brings up that word or phrase as it appears anywhere in the record. A subject search is more refined and brings up those items that are about the subject rather than just having the word or phrase appear in the records. For example, the word "earthquakes" as a subject search results in a list of 35 fiction and non-fiction titles (books and videos) that are about earthquakes. A keyword search results in 45 titles that may or may not be about earthquakes per se. While it may seem that the keyword search results in more titles, one then has to sort through the results to separate the relevant results from the less relevant.

What's the difference between "Fiction," "Juvenile fiction," and "Juvenile literature"?
When you look in the OPAC at the information for the item you've selected, you may see in blue highlight, subject headings with the words "Fiction," Juvenile fiction," or "Juvenile literature." Librarians use the term "fiction" to alert the user that the item is a work of fiction. Because most cataloging is focused on items for adults, the term "Juvenile fiction" is used to denote fiction works for children's and young adult items. When an item is being cataloged in a school library, the librarian uses the term "Fiction" instead of "Juvenile fiction" to make the work more appealing to the students (older students may not want to read a book for "juveniles."). In the ERC, you will see both headings applied to our collection. The term "Juvenile literature" is used to show the item is a non-fiction children's book. In the ERC we try to not use that phrase but it does pop up now and then.

How can I find a book that's just like the one I already have?
Going to the OPAC, looking up a title you already have, and then selecting the highlighted subjects is a good way of finding similar items. The librarians can also help in this area.

What do I do if I can't find what I'm looking for?
Ask a librarian! It's our job to help you find what you need so do not hesitate to ask us for help or advice.

How do I find realistic fiction?
Realistic fiction is anything that can happen. Harry Potter stories are not realistic fiction, neither are the Arthur stories. The ERC collection cannot be searched by "realistic fiction." The best finding strategy is to think of a subject area, i.e. dogs, and enter a subject search looking for the subject name followed by "-Fiction" or "-Juvenile Fiction." Searching by grade level is also a possibility, ask a librarian for help in this search. Or one can simply browse the fiction collection (call numbers begin FIC) to find a realistic story.

How do I find mystery stories?
These books will be in the FIC area of the ERC. The best finding strategy is to go to the ERC online public catalog (OPAC) either in the ERC or from the ERC web page, type in the search "mystery and detective stories" in the search bar and then click the subject button.

How do I find traditional folktales?
These books are generally located under the call number 398.2. Some of the numbers are longer than that, i.e. 398.20973. The longer number signifies a specific location, for example 398.20973 is a number for a folktale from the United States. If you are in the 398.2 area you are in the folklore section.

How do I find pourquoi stories and fables?
Generally these stories are also under 398.2. You will have to be familiar with the literary style (explanation stories for pourqoi and animal stories for fables) to judge for yourself what kind of story you have. An alternative strategy to browsing the 398.2 area is to conduct a subject search on the OPAC for "fables." Not all pourquoi stories are in 398.2, for example Rudyard Kipling, the modern day master of pourquoi stories, is located in the fiction section under the call number: FIC KIP. Unfortunately, "pourquoi" is not a good term for finding these types of stories. The term "fables" can be used as a subject search.

How do I find fantasy books?
Fantasy stories are in the FIC section of the ERC. The best finding strategy is to go to the OPAC and type in the search "fantasy" and click the subject button.

How do I find biographies?
The ERC does not file its biographies in a separate section. The best finding strategy is to use the OPAC. Either type in a person's name (last name first) as a subject search, or type in a profession, for example scientists, women scientists, athletes, etc., as a subject search, and go through the resulting list looking for the subject followed by "-Biography."

How do I find informational texts?
These are works of non-fiction. Except for the areas of 398.2 and 800, all of the books in the ERC with Dewey Decimal Classification numbers are non-fiction. If you are just looking for any old non-fiction book, the best finding strategy is to browse the shelves. If you want a book on a specific subject, for example earthquakes or spiders, then your best finding strategy is to use the OPAC typing in these words as subject searches. If you can't find your topic using a subject search, try a keyword search (see above for the difference between keyword and subject searching). Click here for a general definition for the different Dewey Decimal Classification system numbers.

How do I find alphabet books?
The alphabet books are generally located in the 411 and 420 sections but may also be located in Fiction as well as other non-fiction areas. Therefore, the best finding strategy is to type "alphabet" in the search bar and click on the subject button.

How do I find counting books?
Like alphabet books, counting books are not located in one place in the ERC. The best finding strategy is to type "counting" in the search bar and click on the subject button.

How do I find stories without words, or wordless picturebooks?
The best finding strategy is to type "stories without words" in the OPAC search bar and click the subject button. In the visual OPAC (see above) there is a picture icon that links to these books.

What do the numbers in the call number area mean?
The numbers for children and young adult non-fiction titles come from the Dewey Decimal Classification system. The ERC uses the Abridged edition. Click here for a short summary of the meaning of the numbers.