Our next bookfair is on Thursday, May 3rd at Barnes & Noble. Mention Metro High School at checkout and the Metro Library receives a portion of the profits in the from of a gift card. The Metro Library uses these giftcards to buy more books, especially student recommeneded books.
Check out our wish list on Amazon, featuring books recommended by Metro students.
The Metro Library contains more than 5000 books, our library catalog is on the World Wide Web. Any computer on the planet, with an internet connection, is connected to the Metro Library Catalog at this address: http://metr-alex1.cr.k12.ia.us/.
The library catalog on the web is a collection, or listing of books & resources that are part of the Metro Library. When you are on the internet, looking at the Delia’s website, or the University of Iowa list of classes, or checking out Ebay, you are looking at a catalog, or listing of things available.
The Metro Library has 3 main sections: non-fiction (which includes biographies), fiction, and reference. The Metro library, like most public school libraries uses the Dewey Decimal Classification system. Non-fiction and reference materials are organized/shelved in the same way, by a numerical call number. Fiction books are sorted alphabetically by the author’s last name. Books in a library have a call number on the spine- the call number identifies the book and its place on the shelf.
Example of a non-fiction call numbers: numbers, with the first three letters of the author’s last name: 155.5 Hug , 333.72 Siv, 646.11 Bla
The numbers of the non-fiction call number are defined by the Dewey decimal system. The 100s contain thousands of subjects, including philosophy and psychology. The 300s are classified as Social Sciences. Click here for a detailed listing of classifications.
reference: REF, then organized as non-fiction, example: REF 422 Shi
Fiction is shelved, or arranged alphabetically by author’s last name- only the first three letters, examples: Fic Kin, Fic Mey, Fic Zus
(Click here to visit the OCLC (Online Computer Library Center) and learn even more about the Dewey Decimal Classification system)
If you need more help in locating books, talk to the Metro library staff. (If you are able to search on Google, ESPN, or any other website you are able to search an online catalog.)
One more thing: there is actually a condition called library anxiety, especially at the college level students experience significant anxiety when entering a library. Students are overwhelmed by the vast amounts of information available, and feel unprepared and unknowledgeable about how to research in a library.
Do not fear the library. Today’s young adults are experts at searching on the internet: for a You Tube video, a friend’s contact info, movie times, a favorite band’s show dates, and so much more.
