Library Skills: Teagan

Using an index

L.I. - Library/Research skills

Using an index to find information quickly

Most non-fiction books have an index.  Like a table of contents, it lists the books contents and relevant page numbers, but in much more detail.  It presents the topics in alphabetical order to help your search.  Below is an example from a health book.

INDEX aerobics                    2-14 breathing                 9-10 carbohydrates      36 co-ordination         20-25 cycling                       32 diet                              30-40 diseases                   45-65 doctor                       40-44 drinking                    63 drugs, harmful      70-75 drugs, medical       60-65 exercise                    11-20 fat                               35 fatigue                      76-79 good health            80-90 happy                       91-92 hospital                    40-44, 48-65 hygiene                    93-94

illness                           45-65 incapacitated           45-65 injuries                         60-65 inoculation                 96-98 lungs                             9-10, 60-64 medicine                      45-65, 96-98 mental illness            99-120 moods                          99-104 pharmacist                 60-65 physical activities     121-150 rest                                 151-155 self-discipline              115-120               smoking                       121-124 sport                             15-20 strength                      12-14 vigour                           140-150 vitamins                       64-65 weight                           30-35

Before you start highlight 4 words you don’t know and look them up in the dictionary.

Fatigue- To cause someone to feel exhausted.

Vigour- To have good strength and good health.

Inoculation- The action of inoculating

Carbohydrate-Any of a large group of organic compounds occurring in foods.

Why are there two index entries for drugs?

Because one is for harmful drugs and one is for medical drugs.

Which two entries will help you find out about tiredness and how to cope?

Fatigue, and health.

Which pages would you turn to in order to find out about injuries?

Pages 60-65

Which two entries would you use to find out more about healthy eating?

Diet, good health.

Which pages would you turn to in order to find out about the bad effects of smoking?

Pages 121 to 124.

On which pages would you find out about hospital life?

Pages 40-44 and 48-65

Why do you think there are two ranges of page numbers for lungs?

Because one range would be about the how the lungs are used and another range would be about what could happen if you do this.

On which pages would you find out more about the healthy effects of sport?

Pages 15-20.