Using Online Sources: The LAUSD Digital Library
The LAUSD Digital Library contains a collection of subscription databases and a collection of free sites to help you with research. The subscription databases are paid for by the California State Library and are available to all K-12 students in California. They include:
Encyclopedia Britannica
Science-related databases such as National Geographic Kids and Gale Interactive: Science
History- and geography-related databases such as Culture Grams
Language arts-related databases such as TeachingBooks
Multidisciplinary databases such as SIRS Discoverer and ProQuest: PBS Video Collection.
There are several advantages to using the LAUSD Digital Library rather than conducting research using Google or another search engine, including:
Accurate and up-to-date information
The ability to have text read aloud to you and/or translated into other languages
Citation creation at the push of a button, helping you cite sources quickly and easily
The nonfiction section of the library is organized using the Dewey Decimal System, which assigns each nonfiction book a number between 0 and 1000 based on its topic. The nonfiction section is organized in numerical order, from smallest to largest.
To find print sources about your topic:
Search the library catalog for your topic. For example, if you're doing research on World War II, you might type "World War II" into the Find box and press either Keyword or Subject. (A Keyword search will search for the word/phrase you typed anywhere in the catalog record for each book. A Subject search will search for that word or phrase in the subject headings only.)
2. Find a book or books that you think will be helpful. Remember, you can click on the book's title to read a summary of the book. Make sure that the book you want is available in the library and write down its call number. For example, let's say you're interested in the book below. Check to make sure that it's available, which it is, and take a note of its call number: 940.54 STO.
3. Locate the books in the nonfiction section by number. The nonfiction section of the library is organized in numerical order, from smallest to largest. If there are multiple books with the same Dewey Decimal number, the books with that Dewey Decimal number are organized in alphabetical order by what the letters on the last line of the spine label represent (usually the author's last name). For example, the library has a large number of books with the Dewey Decimal number 940.54, since it's the Dewey Decimal number representing the military history of World War II. You would find Courage Has No Color toward the end of the books numbered 940.54, since S comes toward the end of the alphabet.
The 10 major categories in the Dewey Decimal System
Commonly Requested Dewey Decimal Numbers
292:
Greek & Roman Mythology
811:
American Poetry
398.2:
Folk Literature
921:
Biographies & Autobiographies
520:
Astronomy
940.53 & 940.54:
World War II
796:
Sports
973:
United States History