The online catalog can be found here.

Using the Search Field

On the online catalog’s home page, you can search for books in the collection by author, title, or subject.  (See below for a list of suggested search terms.)  If you use the search field, a “results” page will come up showing all the titles by that author or related to that subject.

For each book, this initial listing will show the author’s name, the book’s title, its year of publication, and whether it is a hardcover or paperback.  Below that information will be the Library of Congress “call number.”  This is also known as the “shelving number,” as it indicates where on the shelves the book can be found.  If a book is not in the Library of Congress system, its label will generally show the author’s last name and the date of publication.  This will also show up in the Call Number field.

Books for children and young adults (ages 14-18) will also show “Tags” indicating suggested reading ages, the book’s topics, and whether or not the books were donated by the family of our former Senior Warden, Linell Grundman, from her collection

The Scrolling Book Covers

At the bottom of the home page is a continuous scroll of book covers, chosen in random order from the collection. LibraryThing, the web platform we are using, automatically imports a color image of the book if it has an ISBN number entered into the system. For books published before 1970 and books published after that date but not registered with the Library of Congress, it will show a gray cover with the title. Over time the Library Committee will photograph and upload images for those books as well.

The Details Page

When results come up from a search, click on the book’s title to get to the details page.  (Clicking on the image of a book’s cover on the home page will also take you directly to the details page.)

For books that are located in special sections of the library, the name of the section will be shown in a field called “Local Notes.”

Most books in special sections also have a special spine label, showing the abbreviation for that section, followed by the author’s last name, and the date of publication. Examples include:

  • CB-B        Children’s Books – Bible
  • CB-S        Children’s Books – Stories
  • SMA        St. Mark’s Authors
  • YM           Youth Ministry

Reference books and those relating to youth confirmation or worship planning will have spine labels showing the LCC number at the top (or the title of the book, if no LCC number is available), with REFERENCE, WORSHIP, or Youth Conf. at the bottom.

If a book has a special spine label, it will appear on the results or detail page as “Call Number.”

To see where special sections are located in the library, see “Special Sections and Locations” under Introduction to the Collection on this web site or see the location information posted on the bulletin board in the library and contained in the Catalog binders.

Book Descriptions and Reviews

For books with ISBN numbers, LibraryThing occasionally imports book reviews, which will also be shown on the details page. Most often these are reviews drawn from reputable library journals but occasionally there will also be “reviews” written by individuals who use LibraryThing for their personal or institutional collections.

Related Books

For books that have ISBN numbers, LibraryThing will also list books on related topics that can be found in our collection. These are shown at the bottom of the detail page. 

Here you will find additional information about the book drawn from LibraryThing, including a brief description of the contents, details on illustrators and editors, if applicable, whether it is part of a series, and a list of similar books in the Dozier Library’s collections.

If the book is shelved in a special part of the Dozier Library, that will be indicated in a field called “Local Notes” near the top of the page.  Generally, the shelving label on the spine of these books will also indicate the section where it is shelved.

Examples include:

SMA     St. Mark’s Authors – These are circulating books, located on the first shelf on the far left in the adult section.

REF       Reference books – These are non-circulating, but may be used in the building.  They are located in the last bookcase on the far right at the back of the room and the adjacent rolling cart.

WOR    Worship planning books – Located on the small, rolling cart, these books are non-circulating but may be used in the building

YM       Youth Ministry – These are located on the bottom shelf of the left-hand corner bookcase near the entrance.  They are indicated by YM on the shelving label and a green dot. They include several books written by Sofia Cavalletti, the founder of The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, used by St. Mark’s Christian Education program, as well as books written for use by teachers and Youth Ministers working with children and young adults.

To see where special sections are located in the library, see “Special Sections and Locations” under Introduction to the Collection on this web site or see the location information posted on the bulletin board in the library and contained in the Catalog binders.

Books for children and young adults are shelved in the corner bookcases just inside the library’s entrance.  The bookcase on the left is devoted to books about Christianity, other religions, and spiritual practices.  The shelving label for these books will have a blue dot.

The bookcase on the right contains books on a variety of “life issues” including interpersonal relations and ethics, challenges faced by children and young adults, celebrating diversity, working for social justice, and caring for creation.  The shelving labels for these books will have a red dot.  In either bookcase, books intended for young adults will also have a yellow dot.

At the bottom of the Details Page, clicking on the link to LibraryThing will bring up additional information about the book.  For books with an International Standard Book Number (ISBN), LibraryThing occasionally imports book reviews drawn from reputable library journals and other publications.  It may also show “reviews” written by individuals who use LibraryThing for their personal or institutional collections.

Suggested Search Terms

The Dozier Library includes many of the major works one would find in any church library. Because of St. Mark’s traditions and the diverse interests of the congregation, it also encompasses some subject matter that might not readily come to mind. To aid individuals conducting topical searches on the home page of the online catalog, the Library Committee offers some suggested terms.

  • Art – videos as well as books
  • Architecture – also cathedrals
  • Atlases
  • Bibles – Hebrew Scriptures and New Testament, different translations, commentaries, prophets, parables, Jesus, Apostles
  • Church history – early Christianity, Catholic Church, the Reformation, the Anglican church, the Episcopal church, other denominations
  • Clergy – preaching, sermons, pastoral care,
  • Congregations – also laity, lay ministry, caregiving, hospitality, leadership, organization, stewardship
  • Education – teaching, youth and adult education, Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, Functional Education, Education for Ministry
  • Environment and environmental stewardship
  • Hymnals – Baptist, Catholic, Episcopal, Lutheran, Methodist, and others; commentaries
  • Israel – ancient Israel, modern Israel and Palestine
  • Life issues – birth, celebrations, rituals, aging, illness, death
  • Music – choral, organ, composers
  • Mysticism
  • Myth
  • Novels
  • Philosophy
  • Poetry
  • Psychology
  • Reference material – concordances, dictionaries, encyclopedias
  • Saints
  • Sermons
  • Social justice and outreach
  • Spiritual practices – prayer, meditation, journaling, retreats, spiritual directors
  • Theology – feminist theology
  • World religions – Buddhism, Judaism, Hinduism, Islam, etc.
  • Worship – lectionaries, prayer books, liturgies