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Tips on using the MCAST Library and learning Resource Centres (LLRCs)
First of all welcome. You have made a wise decision to start using our Libraries. Research from both the UK and USA shows clearly that College students who use libraries to support their studies consistently get better results in their assignments and examinations. Lecturers too benefit from using a Library.
The tips listed below have been prepared by MCAST LLRC qualified staff to help you get the best out of our Libraries with little effort.
1. General Introduction
2. Finding your way around in our Libraries
3. Our Catalogues
4. Some of our collections
- Melitensia
- Film
- Fiction
- Other Collections
5. Full text on-line periodicals
6. Useful Web-sites
7. Researching and writing your assignment
8. Rules and Regulations
9. Should you have any other queries
1. General Introduction
2. Finding you way around in our Libraries
3. Our Catalogues
- For general searches use the "Search our catalogue" page http://195.158.110.84/search.asp . Here you can search any of the more than 30,000 titles we have in any (or all) of our six libraries using varied approaches; any word from title or author,
- For course specific searches (full-time courses only at present) use our "Your course and the Library" page found at http://195.158.110.84/llrc_yourcourseandlibrary.asp . In this case, first choose your Institute, then choose your course, then choose the particular study unit you are following at present. Here you can continue searching by a number of subject headings or class numbers. Either search takes you straight into our catalogue giving a list of items related to your study units.
4. Our collections
- Melitensia - Our libraries have a fairly good number of books by Maltese authors and about Maltese subjects. However it is only at the Art and Design Institute Library in Mosta that these Melitensia items form a physical collection. In all other libraries they are spread throughout according to other collections criteria; Lending, Reference (R), Teachers (T), Audio-Visual (A-V) etc. All Melitensia items have an 'M' on their spine and can be found electronically by keying in 'Malta' or Maltese' in the subject heading field of the OPAC (Search our Catalogue) screen or looking up 'Malta' or Maltese' in the 'View Classes' section of OPAC.
- Films - The Library (mostly in Paola) has a small but growing collection of films (over 400 titles) on Video and DVD. Most titles are feature (fiction) films though a few are documentaries. You can check the whole list in all libraries by going to http://llrc.mcast.edu.mt/search.asp the 'Search our Catalogue' page. In the Subject Heading box, key in 'films', sort under 'title' then 'Search'. Besides actual films you will also find a number of books about films. All titles can be borrowed by lecturers and staff for one day or weekend use. Students can view these films in the library. The Library moreover can subscribe individuals to an on-line service called Teach With Movies www.teachwithmovies.org which gives ideas and detailed lessons plans how to use a particular film for discussion purposes according to age group, value or issue you would like to highlight. E-mail us llrc@mcast.edu.mt to enquire about a subscription.
- Fiction - The Library also, as part or its edutainment policy, keeps a collection of over 1,600 fiction titles (a mix of both classics and popular in Maltese and English and very few in Italian and French). You can check whole list in all libraries at http://llrc.mcast.edu.mt/search.asp and in the Subject Heading box, key in 'fiction' sort under 'author' then 'Search'. Fiction titles are moreover graded according to reading level from Adult (F) to Intermediate (I) to Junior (J) to Kindergarten (K).
- Periodicals Collection - The Library subscribes to over 250 periodical titles on various study subjects. Several are magazines of general interest. You can check whole list in all libraries at http://llrc.mcast.edu.mt/search.asp and in the Subject Heading box, key in 'Periodicals' sort under 'class' then 'Search'. The result gives you all our periodicals sorted according to subject (seen as a class number). Most periodical catalogue entries have a link to the electronic home page of the Periodical. 30 titles are full-text on-line journals (see Point 5 below).
- Other Collections - These include the Reference collections (Dictionaries, Encyclopaedias, Atlases, and Directories - all for Library use only), the Basic Skills Collection, the Music collection (small), the CD-ROM collection and the Everyman's Library and Library of America collections.
5. Full text on-line periodicals
- You can access these articles and the abstracts of another 300 titles at www.emeraldinsight.com. From College PCs in most Institutes and Administration buildings (not just library PCs) you do not need a password. The exceptions are the Building and Construction Engineering Library in Naxxar, the Maritime Library in Kalkara and the Agribusiness Library in Qormi. If you are at these Libraries or at home e-mail us to get the current User name and Password.
- Other free full text Journals may be viewed at the Open J-Gate portal produced by Informatics India Ltd. Open J-Gate is an electronic gateway to global journal literature in open access domain. Open J-Gate provides seamless access to millions of journal articles available online. Open J-Gate is also a database of journal literature, indexed from 3000+ open access journals, with links to full text at Publisher sites.
6. Useful Web-sites
- Our web-pages "Other Libraries in Malta" and "Useful Links to your studies" list a number of local Maltese web-sites that you may find useful to get more information beyond what we have on our shelves. The Library also subscribes to the following site www.weblinksresearch.co.uk. This is a subject categorised listing of selected and reviewed international Internet sites useful for College students and lecturers. It is not a free site but the Library pays the subscription fee on your behalf. From College PCs in most Institutes and Administration buildings (not just library PCs) you do not need a password. The exceptions are the Building and Construction Engineering Library in Naxxar, the Maritime Library in Kalkara and the Agribusiness Library in Qormi. If you are at these Libraries or at home e-mail us to get the current User name and Password.
7. Researching and writing your assignment
- The following Internet pages (free) http://ipl.org/div/teen/aplus give you excellent tips on how to research and write your assignment. All our libraries provide PCs with free access to Internet for research and study purposes and you can also print your assignments in the Library.
8. Rules and Regulations
- You may read our rules and regulations for use of our libraries and facilities at www.mcast.edu.mt/llrc_aboutus_regulations.asp . Our aim is to ensure that all library items and facilities are available for use by all at all times at the same time as we safeguard the considerable investment we have made and are still making.
9. Should you have any other queries
Please get in touch with us either by physically visiting any of our Libraries, phoning us or e-mailing us (full contact details at www.mcast.edu.mt/llrc qualified library staff will be more than pleased to assist you.
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