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Using the Library’s CatalogsCATNYP is the online catalog of The New York Public Library’s four Research Libraries. It is easily accessible via the World Wide Web at http://catnyp.nypl.org. For general instructions on using CATNYP, please consult Using the Library's Online Catalog. The following information is specific to the subject of Sociology. CATNYP allows searching by author, title, keyword, and subject. A subject search will generally yield more precise results, but only if you know the appropriate Library of Congress subject headings for your topic. The most basic subject headings for sociology include the following terms:
These terms provide cross-references to more specific subject headings, including specific sociological schools, sub-fields, and issues:
Works by and about prominent sociologists can be found by searching their names in the author and/or subject fields, entering the last name first:
If you do not know the Library of Congress subject headings for your topic, it will be easier to perform a word search. A word search will generally retrieve more items, though many of them may not be relevant. When performing a multiple word search, be sure to use the word "and" between each term:
After you retrieve your results in a word search, scan the record of one of the items that most closely matches your topic. You will see the item’s subject headings listed; by clicking on any of the links you can perform a search for items on that specific subject, if desired. If visiting the Library, you may wish to search the Dictionary Catalog, most of whose entries now appear in CATNYP. To search the Dictionary Catalog you can use the same terms you would use in CATNYP. If you need assistance locating materials, please see a reference librarian at the reference desk in Room 315. If you are not in the library, you may also e-mail us for assistance at grdref@nypl.org. |