Need to determine what LC subject headings to use in your search?  If so, follow these two demonstrations of how to do that, using 1) OU's WebCat and 2) the huge FirstSearch WorldCat union catalog of the holdings of over 20,000 libraries around the world.

• OU's WebCat
• FirstSearch' WorldCat

LC Classification schedule

Need to find out what Library of Congress classification is all about?  If so, look through this outline of what subjects go where, and click through each schedule to see a more detailed classification (in pdf format) of where LC classification puts things.

• LC Classification

Need to see what books are classified as being close to something you already know about?  You can "browse" the shelves of the OU library's collection through its online catalog.

• Using WebCat to browse the collection's shelves

There are new software packages that allow you to keep citations and references in a personal database on your own microcomputer for use in papers you are writing or bibliographies you are preparing.  The software will format the citations in one of hundreds of different style manual directions, allow you to decide how they are to be included in your paper (in the text itself, as end notes, as a bibliography, etc.), and even act as the interface for searching through online databases and library catalogs for new additions to your personal database.  OU Libraries supports searching its online catalog with Endnote, and allows you to search a number of its indexing/abstracting databases with it too.

• Information about purchasing and using Endnote