5. The Periodical Area

This section of the library contains current periodicals (magazines and journals) and newspapers. Old issues may be bound in hard cover or microfilmed and placed in special areas. If you are looking for information on a specific subject you should first go to the reference area and look up the topic in a periodical index, like Books in Print. Periodical indexes list articles by title, subject and author, just like card catalogues do for books.

Once you have found the location of the articles you want, you can find the magazine or newspaper and read the articles that relate to your research. Pay attention to the date of the publication to make sure that the information is up-to- date.

6. Vertical Files and File Drawers

Usually located in or near the Periodical Area, these files contain clippings, pamphlets, brochures, posters and other materials which would be difficult to place on shelves. They are filed by subject.

7. The Media Area

Often this area looks more like a large living room with comfortable chairs and a variety of devices which play tapes, CDs, videos, films or slides for library users. The holdings in this area are catalogued separately. This is where you will find films based on books or Shakespeare’s plays, for example. Many libraries also offer loans ranging from one day to two weeks for these kinds of materials. Libraries in larger areas even provide rentals of the various devices needed to use these materials.