Skip to Main Content

Literature in English

Browse library materials for the study of literature in English

Scavenger Hunt

Make sure to bring:

  • A phone, tablet, or some other device that connects to the internet and takes photos (need one per group)
  • Your Cal ID card (each person will need this in order to enter the Main Stacks and the Moffitt Library).
  • Recommended: a mask.

Instructions

  • Meet your class in Doe 223, a classroom on the second floor of Doe Library accessed through the Heyn's Reading Room under the monumental painting of George Washington
  • Go through the library and fulfill each "challenge" according to the instructions.
  • Take photos/selfies to document completing each challenge.
  • Work in pairs or groups of three.
  • Your group will be given a starting point in class. (Good starting points have an *asterisk mark.)
  • After completing the scavenger hunt, email your instructor a link to a bDrive folder with your photos. The title of the bDrive folder should include the names of all teammates: "Library Scavenger Hunt-Names of Group Members"

Note

  • This scavenger hunt will ask you to take selfies. If you would prefer not to appear in the photos, that's 100% okay. Simply take a picture of the resource or locations as instructed.

Before You Begin: Grab a Map!

Grab a map!

Maps will be available in the classroom. You can also find them at Info Desks upon entering Doe, Main Stacks, and Moffitt. Picking one up at the start will make your hunt easier!

Here are links to PDFs of the maps in case you miss this step.

1. Find a Book in the Catalog*

About

  • Use UC Library Search to search all of the books in the Library's collection. (You can search on your phone or device or on any computer available in the library. Computers are available in the Reference Hall, inside the Main Stacks, near the Circulation Desk, and in Moffitt, among other locations.) 
  • You can also use UC Library Search to find journal articles, magazine articles, audiobooks, and much more.
  • UC Library Search will also show you the books held by other UC Libraries. Use the 'Request' link in the 'Get It' section of the record to request print items from other libraries.

Instructions

  • In UC Library Search, find a book by or about the author Mary Shelley or her work Frankenstein.
  • Check to make sure the book's status is Available and it is located in the Doe Library Main (Gardner) Stacks. If it's not available in the Doe Library Main (Gardner) Stacks, choose another book.
  • If you are not searching on your phone, take a picture of the call number (will likely start with the letters "PR" or "PS"). The call number will help you locate the book on the shelf. 

2. Locate the Book in the Gardner Main Stacks (Book Collection)

About

  • The Gardner Main Stacks, located between the Doe Library and The Moffitt Library, houses over 5 million books.
  • Literature books can be found on Level D, the lowest level.
  • Going to the stacks in person can be a magical experience, allowing you to browse the shelves for many books that may be of interest to your projects.
  • Be prepared to show your Cal ID card before entering.
  • Food and drinks are not allowed.
  • If you'd like to borrow books, all you need is your Cal ID card.

Challenge

  • Time to visit the Main Stacks! Enter the Main Stacks from the Doe Library main level near the Circulation Desk. (You'll need to show your Cal ID.)
  • Use the book's call number to find the book on the shelf. (Tip: the first 2 letters of the call number are often posted on the walls to help you find the right shelf. You may need to crank the shelves open in order to retrieve the book.)
  • Take a selfie with the book you found. 
  • Put the book on one of the return shelves located in aisles and at the front of the stacks.

3. Find a Journal Article in the Catalog

About

  • Use UC Library Search to search for print and online journals and online articles in the Library's collection. (You can search on your phone or device or on any computer available in the library. Computers are available in the Reference Hall, inside the Main Stacks, near the Circulation Desk, and in Moffitt, among other locations.) 
  • You can also use UC Library Search to find books, videos, audiobooks, and much more.
  • UC Library Search will also show you articles from journals Berkeley doesn't subscribe to. Use the 'Request' link in the 'Get It' section of the record to request PDFs of articles not in our collection.

Challenge

  • In UC Library Search, find an online journal article by or about the author Mary Shelley or her work Frankenstein.
  • Check to make sure there is a View Online section with links. If there is not a View Online section, choose another article. (Pro tip: The Refine your results menu to the left of the search results allows you to filter your search. Try limiting your search by clicking on Available online to only see items with a View Online section. You can also limit your search to articles under Resource Type.)
  • Click one of the links in the View Online section and navigate to the full text of the article. You may be prompted to login with your CalNet ID.
  • If you are using your own device, save a copy of the article as a PDF file. If you are using a library computer, email a PDF of the article to yourself.

4. Find a Group Study Room at the Moffitt Library*

About

  • The Moffitt Library has many places to work and collaborate.
  • If you are coming from Main Stacks, there is a "secret passage" on Level C. If you are starting the challenge at Moffitt, enter the building through either the main door (4th floor) or next the Free Speech Movement Cafe (3rd floor). You need a Cal ID card in order to enter. 
  • The 4th floor is meant to be a collaborative space where talking is allowed. The 5th floor is a quiet space for individual work.
  • You can reserve group study rooms on the 4th and 5th floor.
  • Note: The building is currently undergoing construction, and some areas may be closed. 

Challenge

  • Find a group study room on the 4th or 5th floor and take a picture in front of it.

5. Peek Inside the Morrison Library*

About

  • Morrison Library is a one-room library located inside the Doe Library building, on the first floor. (It is across from the North security desk and Doe 190. See more info.)
  • You can find newly released fiction and nonfiction, as well as poetry by local authors, graphic novels, and some young adult literature. In addition, read newspapers, magazines, and literary journals.
  • Morrison also has a record collection and a record player to play them on!
  • Morrison has a strict no device rule -- the space is designed for immersive and pleasure reading, so come prepared to cozy up with print books.
  • Morrison has more limited hours than Doe, so check the Library's hours page for details.

Challenge

  • Morrison is located just inside the Doe entrance, across from the North security desk and Doe 190. See more info. (If you're coming from Moffitt, exit Moffitt through the main door and walk outside to the main entrance to Doe Library.
  • Take a peek at Morrison through the glass doors.  
  • Take a selfie with the iconic Mark Twain sculpture by the entrance.

6. Find Reference Materials in Reference Hall*

About

  • Some reference materials are available in print form only.
  • We keep such materials on the second floor of the Doe Library in the Reference Hall.
  • Materials here can be used only in the library in order to ensure that they are available for everyone.
  • The MLA Handbook is the official guide to the citation format MLA style, a citation style often used in literature courses.

Challenge

  • Go to the Reference Hall on the 2nd floor of Doe Library.
  • Find a copy of The MLA Handbook (Call number: LB2369 .M52 2021) and take a selfie of yourself with the book. 
  • Put it back exactly where you found it!!

(Note: a portion of the Reference collection is housed in the North Reading Room, one of the most iconic places in the Doe Library. It's an excellent place to study and is known for its grandeur and silence. Be sure to take a peek while you are visiting the Reference collection, but keep in mind that talking and photography are not allowed.)
 

7. Using Scanners

About

Challenge

  • Go to the Reference Hall on the 2nd floor of Doe Library.
  • Choose any book from the Reference collection and scan page 23.
  • Email the scan to yourself. You will include it later in your team's bDrive folder. 

8. Look at Print Journals in the Heyns Reading Room*

About

  • The Heyns Reading Room houses the library's collection of recent journals (and magazines).
  • Scholarly, peer-reviewed articles are first published in journals. We often read them online now, but many are still first made available in print.
  • Recent issues can be viewed in the Heyns Reading Room. They cannot be checked out of the library.
  • Older issues are bound together and look like books. They are stored in the Main Stacks. They can be checked out of the library.

Challenge

  • Go to the Heyns Reading Room on the 2nd floor of Doe Library. (Tip: the Heyns Reading Room has a large painting of George Washington on the back wall. 
  • Look for the print ("unbound") version of a recent issue of PMLA: Publications of the Modern Language Association of America. (Call number: PB6.M64) Flip through the pages. How does it look different from popular magazines?
  • Take a picture of the journal.
  • Hint: If you're having trouble finding the journal, follow the call number letters in alphabetical order until you reach "P". 

9. Find the Bancroft Library (Archives)

About

  • Bancroft Library is an internationally renowned archive.
  • If Bancroft happens to have archival material related to one of your research topics, take advantage of the opportunity to view the material in person.
  • Visiting an archive usually requires making requests for materials in advance, booking an appointment, storing most of your belongings in a locker, and going through a security checkpoint on the way in and out. It can feel intimidating, but once you know what to expect, it'll be a breeze.

Challenge

  • Locate the entrance to Bancroft (inside the Doe Library building) and take a picture there. 

When You're Done: Share Your Photos

  • Put all of the pictures you took today AND the PDF article you saved AND the scan you made of the reference book page into one bDrive folder.
  • Title the folder "Library Scavenger Hunt-Names of Group Members"
  • Email the link to the folder to your instructor.
  • Be sure to include the names of the other people on your team.