HIST 30 History of Mexico
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). Select the type of search then type in the words.
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:
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Check related subheadings:
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To search by title, select 'Title', 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', then type in the author's last name, then first name, e.g. 'Carrasco, David'.
Advanced Search
If Basic Search is unsuccessful use Advanced Search to combine topics.
Use the KEYWORD 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., RNA or ribonucleic acid), or the WORDS AS A PHRASE (e.g., chemical elements). You can also use the KEYWORD search to combine topics.
Examples of combined searches:
Search for: Aztecs[ |
Search for: Olmecs [ |
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 the History of Mexico. The titles cited below are only a representative sample of many specialized reference books that are available in the library.
Specialized Encyclopedias
These book can be found on the 2nd (main) floor of the library in the south west section of the reference collection.
- Encyclopedia of Mexico REF 930.003 E 1 (2 vols.)
- Archaeology of Ancient Mexico and Central America REF 972.01 A 2
- Early Civilizations in the Americas REF 972.01 B 4
- Oxford Encyclopedia of Mesoamerican Cultures REF 972.01 O 1 (3 vols.)
- Encyclopedia of Archaeology REF 930.103 E 3 (3 vols.)
3. Databases and Indexes - Find Articles
- Use Proquest Direct, a database, to find periodical articles (newspapers, magazines & journals)
- Daily Life Online is another database which can be searched by region and time period for articles about family life, political & economic life, religion & beliefs, and other topics.
- Use Discovering Collection to do a history search or person search for biographical and events information.
- The Encyclopedia Britannica Online is a good starting place to get an overview of your topic and will often lead you to good Internet sources (look for "The Web's Best Sites" link).
4. Resources on the World Wide Web
Finding reliable information on the web can be difficult.
Use the Librarians' Index to the Internet www.lii.org or see recommended websites below.
- Ancient Mesoamerican Civilizations
- http://www.angelfire.com/ca/humanorigins/index.html
- Ancient Mexico
- http://www.ancientmexico.com/
5. Citing Your Sources
For assistance with using citation styles such as MLA or APA use the following link:
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