DO NOT GET LOST IN THE LIBRARY

Do you know your school library properly?

In a library, there several areas:

• The reception: where the librarian or the teacher on duty gives attends to the
users giving information and making the borrowings.

• The shelves: the books are classified by subjects. There are some labels
indicating them.

• The study area: this area is intended for consulting and taking notes or doing
some writing.

• The readers’ area: this area is intended for relaxed reading or books or
magazines.

• The newspapers and magazines corner: where newspapers and magazines can be
found.

• The computers area: where you can consult electronic documents and surf the
net.

• The new releases corner: recently published books are shown there.
ACTIVITIES:

1) To get to know every corner of your library, draw a sketch showing all the areas described
above.

2) Look at the columns. Match an area (a-e), with an activity (1-5).

a. Study area 1. Ask for information about the library

b. Borrowing area 2. Look up an encyclopedia

c. Reader’s area 3. Look for the last number of “Very Interesting” magazine

d. Computer corner 4. To borrow a book

e. New releases corner 5. To check if there is a terror book available

f. Reception 6. Read a CD-Rom

3) Walk around the library and answer the questions.

 Is there a shelf/stand for new releases? Write down 2 titles.

 Is there a newspaper and magazines area? If there is, write down their titles.

 Is there a place for relaxed reading? What is the difference between this area and
the study area?

 Is there a computer area?

Do you know the rules of the library?
The purpose of the school library is to offer its services to everybody in the school community,
regardless their age, sex or social condition.
For the good running of the library, these are some important rules:

ABOUT THE SPACE OF THE LIBRARY

1. The library is a place for reading and study. Silence and good behavior is necessary for
everybody there.

2. Playing is not allowed in the library.

3. Eating and drinking are not allowed either.

4. It is compulsory for users to show their library or ID card to the teacher on duty when
required.

5. The library can be used as long as there is a teacher on duty there. Opening times are from
Monday to Friday, from 9:10 to 13.20, including break times. Outside these hours, the library
can also be used as a resource centre for specific activities.

6. In case people cause trouble (bad behavior, spoiling or stealing material), they will not be
allowed to stay in the library for a temporary or definitive period of time , according to the
cause.

CONSULTING AND BORROWING

1. Library users can consult books at the library or borrow them

2. When consulting or borrowing, users have to address to the teacher on duty and fill in a
form.

3. All books, videos and CDs are available for borrowing except for:

• Encyclopedias and dictionaries

• Those books which have been decided not to be out with specific justification.

4. Books, videos and CDs may be borrowed for up to 15 days. After this period, if someone
wants to keep it , the borrowing has to be renewed for the same period of time (15 days). If
the book is not returned on time, the user will not be allowed to borrow during one term.
5. In case of damage or loss of books, videos or CDs, borrowers will have to repair or pay for
the damage or loss.

IMPORTANT: the library will work better if everybody respects the rules and make
suggestions.

ACTIVITIES:

4.) Do you know the rules of the library? Give 3 examples.

 ________________________________________________

 ________________________________________________

 _______________________________________________

5) If you have any suggestion, write it down and give it to your teacher or tutor.
How are books organized in the library?

When we mentioned the shelf area, we already commented that books in libraries are
classified according to themes. That is to say, all the books dealing with the same theme are placed
on the same shelf.
In many libraries books are classified into ten groups. This type of classification is called
Universal Decimal Classification (UDC). In order everybody knows which these ten themes are,
charts and signs are placed on every shelf of the library.

The UDC divides knowledge into ten categories which are, in turn,
divided into others, as if knowledge was a tree with different
branches. General themes are numbered from 0 to 9 and the
divisions of these themes are numbered with a two-figure
number. And so on and so forth.
ACTIVIDADES:

1) Ahora fíjate bien y anota, mirando el cartel de la CDU anterior, los temas que
corresponden a los números siguientes:
• 53 ____________________
• 62 ____________________
• 10 ____________________
• 86____________________
• 38 ____________________
• 84___________________
• 51 ____________________
• 75 ____________________
• 54 ____________________
• 33 ____________________
• 03 ____________________

2) Anota en qué números crees que encontrarías clasificados los libros que necesitarías para:

• Aprender algo sobre fotografía _____

• Consultar las reglas del balonmano _____
• Leer la biografía de Madame Curie _____
• Conocer la composición de una orquesta _____
• Buscar un libro de literatura fantástica _____
• Leer un libro de poesía _____
• Conocer animales prehistóricos, dinosaurios _____
• Investigar sobre la Hª de España _____
• Leer un libro de francés _____
A place for every book and every book in its place.

Apart from cataloguing documents, librarians also put a label outside each book. On this label they
write the call number, a code composed by numbers and letters, which indicates where that document must be
placed.

The call number not only is used to arrange books, but it also allows to find them. It is composed by the
following elements:

• The UDC number.

• The first three letters of the author´s surname (written in
capital letters).
• The first three letters of the tittle, not having into account
articles (written in lower case letters).

82-31: UDC number coresponding to Real-life Narrations.

LIN: first three letters of Elvira Lindo ´s surname
com: first three letters of the book tittle: “¡Cómo molo!”
ACTIVIDADES:

3) Coge dos libros de distintos temas de las estanterías y anota los siguientes datos:

Signatura: Signatura:
Autor: Autor:
Título: Título:
Nª estantería donde está colocado: Nº estantería donde está colocado:

¿Coincide la signatura con los datos que has escritos?

4) Escribe en mayúscula las tres primeras letras del apellido de cada uno de los autores siguientes:

• Elvira Lindo:
• Roald Dahl:
• Joan Manuel Gisbert:
• Alfredo Gómez Cerdá:
• Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra:

10) Escribe en minúscula las tres primeras letras de cada título sin tener en cuenta los artículos:

• La historia de los grandes inventos:

• El ciclismo:
• La tienda de las palabras
• ¡Póngame un kilo de matemáticas!
 • ¡A la mierda la bicicleta!

The great UDC contest

Students are divided into groups. Each group is numbered and starts to look for the
solutions. Each group starts with the proof coinciding in number with the group.
They only are allowed to use the UDC notebook or the chart placed in the main
entrance, and a pencil and a piece of paper to take notes.
All the proofs must be carried out in silence.
Proofs consisting of finding a book will have to be presented to the teacher so that
he/she validates it. Proofs consisting of writing will be corrected at the end.
Finally each group will get as many points as proofs succeeded.

PROOFS:

1. Which is the UDC number of humour-stories books?

2. Find a book about music.
3. Books in green colour are about….
4. Find a book only dealing with volcanoes.
5. Fetch a biography.
6. Find a book dealing with painting and take note of its title, author and call
number.
7. Fetch a book on chemistry.
8. Show me photographs about tennis.
9. Find a poem and write its title as well as the title, author and editorial of the
book where it appears.
10. In which UDC number will you find books on handicrafts?
11. For some people, yellow is the colour of the sun, for others the colour of lemons.
For our library…. yellow is the colour of… which theme?
12. Where will you find a book written in English and suitable for students in 2º year
of Secondary Education? Can you tell me its title?
13. There are books about Spanish History. In which UDC number are they
classified? Find one and write the title.