Administration of Justice

1. Library Catalog - Find Books, Media and Pamphlets

PCC's online catalog is a database of books, media, pamphlets and course reserves located in the library's collection. To find resources in the library by subject, you will need a call number which is based on the Dewey Decimal Classification System and leads you to the specific item on the shelf. To find the call number, use the library catalog.

Basic Search

Use the Basic Search to look for an item using its exact subject heading, title or author's name (last, first).

To find information about a person, use Basic Search by subject.
To find information on a topic, use Basic Search by subject.

To search by subject, select 'Subject Search', then type in the subject heading.

Examples of subject headings:

  • Criminal investigation
  • Criminology
  • Justice, Administration of –United States

Check related subjects too:

  • Juvenile delinquency
  • Family violence
  • Evidence (Law)

To search by title, select 'Title Search', then type in the first few words of the title. Skip the first word of the title if it is an article, e.g. 'a', 'an' or 'the'.

To search by author, select 'Author Search', then type in the author's last name, then first name, e.g. ' 'Fletcher, Connie'.

Advanced Search

If Basic Search is unsuccessful use Advanced Search to combine topics.

  • Examples: Prisons AND Recidivism (all, keyword)

Use the Advanced Search to look for an item using part of the title or to combine topics:
To search by keyword, type in the words you want to search for then select from the menu whether you want to search for ALL THE WORDS, ANY OF THE WORDS (e.g., drugs, alchohol), or the WORDS AS A PHRASE (e.g. high school dropouts).

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2. Reference Books

Basically, there are two kinds of reference books: general resources, which are broad in scope and deal with all fields; and specialized resources, which deal with specific disciplines such as crime, law or prisons. The titles cited below are only a representative sample of many specialized reference books that are available in the library. Our reference titles are located on the second (main) floor of the library. 

Specialized Dictionaries and Encyclopedias 

  • Real Life Dictionary of the Law    REF 340.03 H 2  
  • 1001 Legal Words You Need to Know   REF 340.03 O 1
  • West’s Encyclopedia of American Law   REF 348.7303 W 1
  • Encyclopedia of Drugs, Alcohol & Addictive Behavior    REF 362.29 E 1
  • Encyclopedia of Domestic Violence   REF 362.8292 E 1
  • Forensic Science: an Illustrated Dictionary   REF 363.2503 B 1
  • Encyclopedia of Forensic Science    REF 363.2503 C 1
  • Guns in American Society: an Encyclopedia of History, Politics, Culture, and the Law    REF 363.33 G 14
  • American Dictionary of Criminal Justice: Key Terms and Major Court Cases  REF 364.03 C 3
  • Encyclopedia of American Crime  REF 364.03 S 2
  • Encyclopedia of High-Tech Crime and Crime-Fighting  REF 364.168 N 1
  • Encyclopedia of Juvenile Violence   REF 364.3603 E 1
  • Encyclopedia of Prisons & Correctional Facilities   REF 365.973 E 2
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3. Databases and Indexes - Find Articles

The library subscribes to several databases which will have periodicals and reference information on the administration of justice and related subject matter.  From the library Web site select Find Articles, Databases by Name. (http://www.pasadena.edu/library/dbtitle.htm)

  • Proquest Direct  A database of periodical articles, to find magazine, journal, trade publication, and newspaper articles.   As with the catalog, search under a variety of terms (keywords, names, etc.) Use Proquest for access to Corrections Today, Crime Control Digest, Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice, Juvenile Justice Update, Law & Order, Narcotics Law Bulletin, The Police Chief, Security Management, etc.
  • SIRS Knowledge Source   A database of both periodicals and government resources. Look under subjects such as: crime analysis, campus crime, crime prevention, community policing, police and mass media, police training, police patrol, police departments, etc.
  • Encyclopedia Britannica Online  Web based version of Encyclopedia Britannica.  Includes the complete encyclopedia, as well as Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, the Britannica Book of the Year, and an Internet directory that includes more than 130,000 links to Web sites selected, rated, and reviewed by Britannica editors.
  • CQResearcher  Articles covering controversial issues with summaries, insight into all sides of the issues, and more.   Search examples:  Fighting crime, Prosecutors and the Law, Discipline in Schools, Gun Violence, etc.
  • Science Full Text Select   Another database of articles searchable by keyword.  Search examples: Forensic sciences, Criminal investigation, Administration of  Criminal Justice, Expert evidence.
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4. Resources on the World Wide Web

Occupational Outlook Handbook (http://www.bls.gov/OCO/)
A valuable source for career information, the Occupational Outlook Handbook describes what workers do on the job, working conditions, the training and education needed, earnings, and expected job prospects in a wide range of occupations.  Published by the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Officer.com   Officer.com includes recent news, feature articles, an agency directory, links to state laws and codes, links to associations and organizations.

PoliceOne.com   Includes information on careers, training, products, research topics, and police videos.
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last updated: 11/06/2008 by P. Johnson revision #2