Mount A Libraries: Services and Facilities: Getting Library Resources

Locating MtA Library Materials

Physical Items at MtA Libraries

Browse the Stacks

In the Availability & Request section, find the library, call number, collection, and status.

Library - Main or Music
Call number: series of letters and numbers that are the item 'address' - eg. BF675. A62 2024
Collection: eg. Study Scores or General Collection
Status: eg. Available, Out of library, etc.

MtA Collection Locations | Libraries - Directories & Floor Maps

Place a Request

Requests options are shown in the Availability & Request section of the item record when signed in to your library account

Request Item: place a request on locally held item
Request Chapter or Article: request a chapter or article be scanned from the item
Request from other libraries: request the physical loan or a copy from the item from other library
- Pickup notifications and copy delivery are sent via email
- Note: Copy requests must fall within Copyright guidelines

Materials with Location: "Con Hall Storage"

Not browsable. Place a request on the material and it will be retrieved for you
- Anticipate a 2 business day turnaround

MtA Collection Locations | Libraries - Directories & Floor Maps

Physical Items Not Owned by MtA Libraries

Click 'Request from other libraries' from the Availability & Request section of the record and fill out the form. You will be emailed when the item is ready to be picked up
- Only want a book chapter or a journal article? Check the 'only need a chapter or pages' box and include the required chapter or article (one article or chapter permitted by fair dealing). Copies are delivered via email regardless of the pickup location entered

E-resources Not Owned by MtA Libraries

Copies of articles and chapters may be requestable
Whole ebooks and streaming videos cannot be shared although we can try to locate a physical version

You can also place requests for items not found in the Novanet search platform directly using the ILL form

Place ILL Request

Helpful Resources for Locating Print Items

How to Read a Call Number

Vertical Display
LB
2369.5
.R87
2006

Horizontal Display
LB 2369.5 .R87 2006

Combo Display
LB 2369.5
.R87
2006

Read left to right, in order of:

1) Alphabetical by first letter(s) = LB	Find LB - in MtA Main Library Floor 2 has call numbers H-P (Floor 1 has A-G, Ground has Q-Z) Check the range signs at the ends of the stacks (shelves) to find where LB will be. Floor 2 starts at H, HA, HB, HC, HD, ... , J, JA, JB, JC, ..., K, KA, KB, ..., to L, then LA, LB, and so on
2) Numerical by first number = 2369.5	Once in LB, numbers go from 1 to 9999.99, scan through to find the number
3) Alphabetically by letter(s) and number as a decimal = R87	At 2369.5, go by alphabet again to R and read 87 as 0.87 - R87 will be after R799 and before R9
4) Year in order = 2006	Year of publication, organized oldest to newest. When the rest of the call number is the same the years differentiate between editions
Some call numbers may have more or fewer lines, or additional details such as volumes or parts

Other Helpful Guides

Call Numbers, How to Read (Tutorial) (University of Prince Edward Island)
How to Read a Call Number (University of Arizona Library)
How to Read Call Numbers: Home (University of California, Berkeley)

Browsing the Stacks

With 5 floors of resources in the Main Library and several collections in the Music Library, a subject area may be a useful starting place for browsing

The Libraries shelve items according to the Library of Congress (LC) Classification system. The first letter is a broad category, the second letter, if present, narrows to a subclass. The 'second line' numbers, which drill down further into a topic area, may narrow the browsing range.

Example:

Broad Category	B	Philosophy \| Psychology \| Religion
Broad Category + Subclass	BF	Psychology
Still a very large area for browsing, so the 'Second Line Numbers' may also be helpful
Broad Category + Subclass + Second Line Numbers	BF698	Psychology - Personality

Main Subject Class Overview

A -- GENERAL WORKS (eg. encyclopedias, dictionaries)
B -- PHILOSOPHY. PSYCHOLOGY. RELIGION
C -- AUXILIARY SCIENCES OF HISTORY
D -- WORLD HISTORY AND HISTORY OF EUROPE, ASIA, AFRICA, AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND, ETC.
E -- HISTORY OF THE AMERICAS
F -- HISTORY OF THE AMERICAS
G -- GEOGRAPHY. ANTHROPOLOGY. RECREATION
H -- SOCIAL SCIENCES
J -- POLITICAL SCIENCE
K -- LAW
L -- EDUCATION
M -- MUSIC AND BOOKS ON MUSIC
N -- FINE ARTS
P -- LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE
Q -- SCIENCE
R -- MEDICINE
S -- AGRICULTURE
T -- TECHNOLOGY
U -- MILITARY SCIENCE
V -- NAVAL SCIENCE
Z -- BIBLIOGRAPHY. LIBRARY SCIENCE. INFORMATION RESOURCES

Broad Category & Subclass Overview

MtA Library of Congress Classification poster
- LC is very American-centric (eg. E & F both being 'HISTORY OF THE AMERICAS'), this poster may help differentiate and expand some subject areas more helpfully

Library of Congress Classification Outline

Library of Congress Classification Outline (Library of Congress)
- A detailed look at the LC system with main subject classes, subclasses, and Second Line Numbers

MtA Collection Locations

General Collection	Main Library A-G Floor 3 H-P Floor 2 (M is in the Music library) Q-Z Ground Floor
Oversize Stacks Collection	Main Library A-P Ground Floor (M is in the Music library) Q-Z Request at Access Services desk
Current Browsing Serials Collection	Main Library, Main Floor
Course Reserve Collection	Main Library, Access Services Desk
Popular Reading Collection	Main Library, Main Floor
Student Success Collection	Main Library, Main Floor
Equipment Circulation Desk	Main Library, Access Services Desk
Atlantic Government Documents Collection	Main Library, Request at Access Services desk
Mary Mellish Collection	Main Library, Floor 3 (304)
Mary Mellish Journals Collections	Main Library, Request at Access Services desk
Heritage Collection	Main Library, Floor 3 (304)
Archives	Offsite (by appointment)
Winthrop Pickard Bell, Sprott, Frederick Banting, and Rare Books Collections	Main Library, Floor 3 (302, by appointment)
Book Stacks Collection	Music Library, shelved in sections: Books on music (ML) Books on music theory (MT) Music scores (M)
Study Scores	Music Library
Circulation Desk Collection	Music Library, Request at Circulation desk CDs, DVDs, and course reserves
Serials	Music Library
Oversize	Music Library - immediate left from main entrance
Microform Collection	Music Library
Con Hall Storage	Not browsable. Place a request on the material and it will be retrieved for you Anticipate a 2 business day turnaround

Main Library Floor Maps | Music Library Floor Map