Adult Basic Education (ABE): LIBRARY BASICS

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Madison College Libraries' catalog

For books, videos, or DVDs on a topic, click on the link above and search the online catalog using words that describe your topic.  Here are some search terms you might want to try:

GED

Math

Writing

Reading

English grammar

Study skills

Readers

Reading comprehension

Reading skills

High school equivalency

Confused by some of the words you hear in the library?  Click the following link to our ELL research guide:

for a list of common library vocabulary words.

You've come to the library to look for a magazine, journal, or newspaper, but you keep hearing people referring to periodicals. What is a periodical?

A periodical is simply a publication that is issued or published at regular intervals (or "periodically").  This could be every day, once a week, once a month, or once every few months.  Periodicals usually consist of a collection of articles. 

Magazines, journals, and newspapers are all examples of periodicals.  Periodicals are also sometimes referred to as serials.

Reference sources, such as general encyclopedias, subject encyclopedias, and biographical dictionaries, are great for quickly learning about your topic.

• They give an overview of your topic and some basic information you will need to start your research.

• They provide well-known facts, definitions, major dates, and key contributions to a field.

• They are trustworthy and reliable, giving you the correct information you need for presentations and research reports.

You'll find reference materials both in print -- in the reference section of the library -- and in Madison College Libraries online databases, including:

If you don't know very much about your topic, or you're just starting your research, try a reference book.  It might be just what you need to get you started!