An introduction to subject headings:
Books in the EMU Library's circulating collection are organized according to subject using the Library of Congress classification system. This is important for the following reasons:
- since material located in the library stacks is organized according to subject, that means that if you locate one book that seems perfect for your research, you may be able to identify others that are shelved near it.
- you can use an appropriate Library of Congress subject heading to quickly limit your search.
Useful subject headings for construction management and civil engineering:
Although not an exhaustive list, the following subject headings may be useful when searching for construction management and civil engineering topics:
- Architecture -- Designs and plans
- Blueprints
- Building
- Building laws
- Building trades
- Building materials
- Civil engineering
- Construction workers
- Construction contracts
- Construction industry
- Dwellings -- Design and construction
- Engineering geology
- Fluid mechanics
- Glass construction
- Highway engineering
- House construction
- Hydraulic engineering
- Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
- Road construction industry -- Management
- Roads -- Design and construction
- Structural analysis (Engineering)
- Structural drawing
- Surveying
- Traffic engineering
- Water supply engineering
Searching the EMU Library's collection using subject headings:
- From the library's homepage, select the "Advanced Search" option below the Esearch search box.
- Type your desired terms into the search box and select "Subject Terms" from the drop-down menu on the left. NOTE: formatting counts. In our example, Architecture -- Michigan, we have to type in Architecture, then a space, the double dashes, then another space, and finally Michigan. Under the "Content type" heading, you'll want to select "Book/eBook," then select the Search button.
- You'll be transported to a results screen. From here, you can further limit your results by using the filters on the left (our example limits to items only found in the library's catalog). Alternately, you can click on a title to access the full-text (if an ebook) or the catalog record of physical book.
