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Library & Research Overview: Finding Books

A guide to using the CIA Library and conducting academic research.

Finding a Book on the Library Shelves

In the Library Catalog, look for:

  • Call Number - the "address" of the book on the shelf, e.g. TX 820 .C9676 2011
  • Location e.g Circulating (2nd Floor)
  • Circulation Status - Available, Checked Out, etc.

There are three locations for books:

  • Circulating books you can borrow; located on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th floors of the Library
  • Reserves books set aside by your instructors to be used in the Library; Ask at the Library Help Desk
  • Reference encyclopedias, dictionaries, handbooks, etc. to be used in the Library; located on the main floor (3rd floor)

Understanding the Book Record in Omnivore

Look at the record in the Omnivore catalog to learn more about the book. This will help you evaluate the book and determine if the book is useful and appropriate.

Book Record

Library Book Stacks

The Library's book stacks are organized by the Library of Congress Classification.  

The book collection begins on the 4th floor of the library and continues down through the following two floors. 

4th floor ___  A- HE

History (incl. food history & customs), psychology, economics.

 
3rd floor ___ HF- TT

Wines, brewing, food processing, agriculture, science, business, social sciences, arts, literature.

 
2nd floor ___ TX - Z
Culinary arts, cookbooks, baking and pastry, mixology.

E-Books

Log in to the eBooks with your CIA username and password, the same as MainMenu and Moodle (not your full email.)

Academic Books ~ How Do I Know if a Book is Scholarly?

Scholarly books disseminate research and academic discussion among professionals within disciplines.  They are intended for academic study and research, and are preferred when writing college-level papers. They are published by academic or university presses.

Non-scholarly books typically do not examine a topic with a sufficient level of detail and intellectual rigor. They are not authoritative (the authors are often not academics). They are written to entertain and broadly inform, rather than to advance a field of study. Non-scholarly books are published by commercial presses. 

Keep in mind: a non-scholarly book may be academically appropriate to use for some topics.  The author may have experience and expertise in the subject. The information may be valid and useful for your coursework. Always check with your instructor and follow the assignment requirements.

 

Comparing Scholarly and Non-Scholarly Books

 

Scholarly/Academic Book

Non-scholarly/Popular Book

Purpose
  • To share with other scholars the results of primary research & experiments.
  • To entertain or inform in a broad, general sense.

Author
  • A respected scholar or researcher in the field; an expert in the topic; names are always noted.
  • A journalist or feature writer; names not always noted.

Publisher
  • A university press; a professional association or known (independent) scholarly publisher.
  • A commercial publisher.
     

Intended audience
  • Other scholars or researchers in the field, or those interested in the topic at a research level.
  • General public.

Style
  • Language is formal and technical; usually contains discipline-specific jargon.
  • Language is casual. Few, if any, technical terms are used (and if they are, they are usually defined).
     

References
  • References are always cited and expected; text often contains footnotes.
  • Very uncommon; text may contain referrals to "a study published at..." or "researchers have found that..." with no other details.

 

Adapted from University of Toronto Libraries 

Finding the Call Number, Location, & Status

Call Number


The Culinary Institute of America | Conrad N. Hilton Library | 1946 Campus Drive | Hyde Park, NY 12538-1430
Telephone: 845-451-1747 | Email: library@culinary.edu