It's November, and chances are some of you have never set foot in your school's library.

Okay, maybe you've gone in there once or twice (they can be great, quiet places to take a nap, after all), but have you taken the time to learn how to find the research materials you need for that paper due next week?

If you're like many students, you only give your school's library a passing glance in the first few essay-free weeks of the school year, and then freak out over not being able to find anything when it comes time to write mid-term papers.

And since post-secondary libraries are not only huge, but also full of so much more than books, figuring out the best way to find what you need can take some work.

The first thing you need to know about finding research materials at the library is that it can be a time-consuming process. This is especially true if your school has multiple libraries, or if you really haven't ventured very far into them yet this year.

The best way to acquaint yourself with your school's library is to simply ask for help. Go on a tour, attend a workshop, or ask a librarian to point you in the right direction (they won't bite, I promise).

The second best way to find out about a library is to check out its Web site. Most libraries have comprehensive sites that explain everything you need to know, from searching the catalogue to finding materials on the shelves.

Until you have time to take a real or virtual tour of the library, here's a quick breakdown of the main research materials to get you started:

Books
For most students, your university library will hold the largest collection of books you've ever seen. That can be a bit overwhelming, but even a really big library still works the same basic way as a smaller one.

First off, head to the nearest computer terminal and check out the library catalogue. This includes information on all the books in the library's collection, including where to find them on the shelves.

Most libraries use a cataloguing system that arranges books by subject. So all you need to do is jot down the call number (which generally begins with a couple of letters that indicate what subject the book is labeled under) and then track down the appropriate section by consulting a library map or looking up at the headings on the book stacks.

Once you find your books, there are a few things you should keep in mind. First, how many books does your library allow you to take out on a particular subject? Some schools have restrictions to prevent one student from taking out all the useful books on a topic, and it's a good idea to be familiar with this rule before dragging 30 books on the French Revolution down to the check-out desk.

When deciding what books to take out, it's also a good idea to carefully flip through them for a few minutes first. This ensures you're not taking out five books that basically say the same thing, or a book you're not even going to end up using. No one likes a book-hog, after all, especially when there are 20 other people in a class writing a paper on the same topic.

Periodicals
The periodical section of your library includes new and old popular magazines, newspapers, and scholarly journals.

Journals are publications put out regularly by professionals in a given field. They include articles on topics of interest within that field, and will likely end up being one of the research materials you use most.

To find an article, you must first search a database like Jstor or EBSCOhost for a specific topic, phrase, author, etc. You'll likely find links to these databases (which are often divided by faculty or subject) on your library's Web site.

If your library subscribes to the magazine or journal the article you want is in, you should find a link from your search results back to the library catalogue. Then you can make a note of the call letter and go track it down in hard copy or microform (which requires a special reader to view).

If your library doesn't have a copy of an article, you might be able to request it from another library in Canada, which can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks.

Online resources
Slowly but surely, some of those same magazine and journal articles your library has in hard copy are being made accessible via the Internet.

These online articles are often only accessible through your library or school account, and then only if your library subscribes to the service. But when you can access it, it means you can read, download, and print an article without ever having to leave the comfort of your desk.

Other stuff
While most of your time in the library will probably be spent looking for and using the above resources, libraries are also home to a host of other useful materials. These include videos, cassettes, reference books, maps, and special materials housed in the archives or collections rooms.

By making the most of everything your school library has to offer, you'll find researching a topic for a paper isn't really as hard as you thought. And, by throwing a couple of journal articles or videos in amongst your book research - especially if you're a first-year student - you might even impress some of your profs with your research savvy.

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