CEE 365

The Gorgas School Library Collection is located on the 1st floor of Gorgas Library in the Fireplace Room.  It contains over 3,000 children's and young adult books.  The collection includes all major award winners spanning the last 5 years, as well as recently published books that reflect diverse cultural perspectives and classic titles that are typically found and used within K-12 classrooms.

When looking at the collection, you will see that it is divided into 2 sections.  Oversized books are separated from the main collection and put on larger shelves located to the left of the Maker Space counter.  The main collection begins to the right of the Maker Space counter and continues along the fireplace wall.

When looking for a particular book using a Call Number, it is important to check both the Oversized shelves and the Main Collection shelves.

                                         Main Collection Shelves

                   Oversized Shelves

In most school libraries nonfiction books are organized by the Dewey Decimal System and fiction books are organized by either genre or alphabetically by author's last name.  However, the University of Alabama organizes all of its materials by the Library of Congress Classification System.  This includes the Gorgas School Library Collection.

This means that in order to find a particular book, you must first find the Call Number using the Library catalog.  

Step One

Access the Library Catalog from the UA Library Homepage or by clicking HERE.

Step Two

Search by either book title or by author.  Do not search by keyword or subject.  Use databases to find specific titles to search.

When searching by title, omit the starting words, "the", "an", and "a".  

Title Search Example

When searching by author begin with the author's last name.

Author Search Example

Step Three

Use the Search Results page to find books with the location of "Gorgas School Library Collection".  Then look for the Call Number.  Write down the Call Number or take a picture of it before heading to shelves to find the book.

Step Four

To get more information about the book, you can click on the book title.  The book record will show a short summary and publication information.  At the bottom of the record, you will see the book's location, call number, and whether or not it is available to check out.  "Not Charged" = Available for Check Out.  

Step Five

When looking for the book on the library shelves, start by looking at the first two letters.  Call numbers are listed first in alphabetical order.  Once you have found the books that have the same first two letters, then look at the next number in the call number sequence.  Make sure to look in both the Oversized Books shelves and the Main Collection shelves.

Step Six

Once you have found your book, take it to the 2nd floor Circulation Desk to check it out using your Action Card.

Assistance locating a book on the shelves can be obtained by either asking at the Information Desk on the 1st floor or at the Circulation Desk on the 2nd floor.