When is the Library open? 
The Library is open on Monday through Thursday from 7:45 am to 8:45 pm, Friday from 7:45 am to 3:45 pm. Services available around the clock via the Library's webpage include: Library Catalog; an online ebooks collection of 3,000 volumes; over 25 Online Research Databases.  A valid Shasta College Library card is required to use databases off-campus. 

How do I get a Shasta College Library card? 
Every Shasta College student  is entitled to a free library card.   Residents of Shasta, Tehama, and Trinity counties over 
18 years of age are eligible for a free community library card. Students and community card holders must visit the Library
Circulation Desk to register (click here for Library Hours). 

How do I know if the Shasta College Library owns the book or video I need? 
Select Library Catalog from the Library's web page. If you know the precise title, select the appropriate option from the drop down Search For menu,  type words from the title in the textbox, and click on SEARCH. When in doubt, use the default words or phrase option.

What subject headings should I use to find books on careers? 
Career  titles are spread across disciplines.  Be creative and a try a number of subject headings, both broad and
specific. For example:

I've searched WEBCATalog and found the book or video I need. Is it available for loan? 
View the right hand column of search results.  If location notes indicate Stacks or Oversize, the item is 
available for loan.If location notes indicate Online, the item is an electronic ebook and may be read online (registration required). If location notes specify Circ Desk or Reference, the item must be used in the Library. If the item you  need is currently Checked Out,  click on Hold, enter USER ID (the 14 digits--no spaces, no hyphens--found under the barcode on your library card) and PIN (the month and date of your birth. That is,  March 27 would be entered as 0327), then click on Place Hold. 

I'm not getting anywhere.  Is there a real person who can help me?
For assistance, phone the Reference Desk (ph 225-5754) or click on Ask a Librarian.
 

Try browsing the shelves, both reference and circulating, around LC Classification HF 5300. Remember, Reference books must be used in the Library.   Some promising, current titles include:

General
1.  Encyclopedia of Careers and Vocational Guidance.  10th ed. (location REF 5381 E2 1997) Volume One (of a four volume set) covers industries in general.  The next three volumes are devoted to descriptions of individual occupations.  There is no online version for this resource. 

2.  Occupational Outlook Handbook (Location: REF HF 5381 1996-97) is a guide to occupations, training requirements, and projections produced by the U.S. Department of Labor.  This resource is useful for general information.  The Internet edition is more current (Click on: Occupational Outlook Handbook). 

3.  California Occupational Guides (California Employment Development Department) contain descriptions of occupations and employment statistics produced by the California Employment Development Department.  Salary and employment data vary greatly by location. This resource is a good, local complement to the Occupational Outlook Handbook.  The first volume, California Occupational Guides) is devoted to one-page descriptions of individual occupations.  (Location: REF HF 5381 C255).  The second volume,California Occupational Guide Wage Suppplements, contains salary informat: REF HF 5381 C256.  Also available through the Internet.  (Click on: California Occupational Guides to find out about training and outlook for a particular career.  Click on: Employment and Wage Data, Redding to find out about salaries in the Redding area). 

Resumes and Cover Letters
The damn good résumé guide by Yana Parker.  [RefHF5383 .P35 1989]

The resume catalog : 200 damn good examples by Yana Parker. [Ref HF5383 .P354 1988

175 high-impact cover letters by Richard H. Beatty. [HF5383 .B323 1996] 

The Adams cover letter almanac by Adams Publishing. [Ref HF5383 .A26 1995 ]

Barrier-breaking résumés and interviews : jumping the hurdle of unemployment and getting a job by Anita Doreen Diggs. [HF5383 .D48 1999 ]

The quick Internet guide to career and education information by Anne Wolfinger.[Ref HF5382.75 .U6 W65 2000 ]

What color is your parachute, 2000 edition. by Richard Nelson Bolles. [Reserves PCX 211]
 

California Employment Development Department  - http://www.edd.ca.gov/ -  is a comprehensive source for local career information. 

• Click on Expansion  to link to occupations with greatest projected growth in Shasta County
• Click on Decline  to link to table of occupations expected to decline in Shasta County 
• Click on CalJOBS to link to create and store your resume and browse job listings.
• Click on: California Occupational Guides  to find out about training and outlook for a particular career. 
• Click on: Employment and Wage Data, Redding to find out about salaries in the Redding area. 

JobSTAR California - http://jobstar.org/- This site includes sample resumes, career inventories, salary surveys and lists of job fairs.

Occupational Outlook Handbook - http://www.bls.gov/oco/ - is an excellent site for determining the educational and personality requirements for a particular career as well as the expected salaries and growth potential of the occupation. 

Enter career choice (example, paralegal) in box labelled Search by occupation.

Librarians' Index to the Internet is a classified list of hundreds of web sites. Scroll  to Jobs (mid-way down the middle column). Over 50 sites are recommended.
 

• Job Star California [http://jobstar.org/tools/resume/samples.htm]
• The Resume Guide from Susan Ireland [http://www.susanireland.com/]
• Monster Career Center [http://content.monster.com/experts/resume/library/]
• Job Hunting for Dummies: Resume tips [http://www.dummies.com/Money/Career/Resumes/0-7645-5163-9_0004.html]
• Job Hunting for Dummies: Resume Goofs [http://www.dummies.com/Money/Career/Resumes/0-7645-5163-9_0006.html]
• Cover Letters for Dummies [http://www.dummies.com/Money/Career/Cover_Letters/0-7645-5224-4_0003.html]
• The Riley Guide [http://www.rileyguide.com/]

• Administrative Assistant
• Data Entry Clerk
• Medical Office
• Paralegal or Legal Secretary

Shasta College Library's Articles & Databases Link contain full text articles from popular and academic journals and newspapers. EBSCO is great for current events and social sciences.  National Newspapers is a mix of full text articles and summaries from 5 major U.S. newspapers. SIRS Researcher is similar to EBSCO, but has the added benefit of including reports from U.S. Government agencies. Career and Technical Information (Proquest) is an excellent starting point for researching current trends in training, licensing, and job opportunities for your chosen career. The information from the magazines and newspapers included is often more current than the data you will find in print books or government web pages.  To search this database:

Go to the Articles and Databases table, scroll down to Career and Technical Education (Proquest).  If you are off campus, you will need your library card to log-in.

     Search Hints:
     Use the ? to search for words containing a common word root. For example, 
    bookkeep?  will find articles containing bookkeeping, bookkeeper and  bookkeepers.

     Use and to combine two ideas. For example, 
            paralegal? and salar? will find articles on salaries for paralegals. 
            licen? and paralegal?will find articles on licensure requirements for paralegals.

     Use quote marks to find words in the sequence specified. For example, 
 "legal secretar?"  for legal secretaries or legal secretary