TEXT B Libraries are in some way
the best evidence we have of civilization. In them is the accumulated knowledge
of the ages. The core of a college or university is its library. Schools are
spoken highly of for the size and effectiveness of their libraries. Since
libraries go on indefinitely and survive even the oldest teachers, they are full
of very old books. It is easy to think of a library as a place
where a lot of old books sit unused on the shelf. On the other hand, libraries
can be thought of as extremely timely and up to date. They have current books,
magazines, newspapers, and other materials that would be very expensive and
space-consuming if you were to subscribe to them all. Many libraries have
extensive collections of nonbook materials as well, including large recorded-
music collections. The best way to use a library is to have some
idea of how it is organized. Then you can use the people in the library as
efficiently as possible. It is the staff of the library that really make it
work. They know where to find the information you need. You
should be aware that different people in the library have different jobs. They
range from highly trained reference librarians to part-time clerical help who
probably don’t know much beyond their specific job. The first thing to do if you
are looking for information on a particular topic is to find the right person to
help you. Approach one of the library staff members (preferably
one behind the desk in the reference section), and say, "Are you a reference
librarian" If you get an affirmative answer, then explain what you are looking
for and, if appropriate, why you are looking for it. The reference librarian can
then make a professional judgment about what materials to lead you to. People
differ, of course, but generally reference librarians are eager to demonstrate
the special training and knowledge they have. Many will really go all out to
help you. If you’d like to make full use of the library, your priority is
A.to know the people in the library B.to be sure to know something about a particular topic C.to have an idea of the organization of the library D.to know the size and effectiveness of the library