Use OneSearch to search for books, ebooks and films.
What am I Searching?
When using the library catalog, keep in mind what's included in the records you're searching. The library catalog doesn't search books' full text. Instead it searches "bibliographic records" that include information about books. This information includes:
- Title
- Author
- Subject Terms
- Summary (if available)
- Table of Contents (if available)
When the default "Keyword" is selected, the catalog will search for your search terms in all of these fields. It is possible to specify which field you'd like your terms to appear in, as shown in this example of an "Advanced Search":
The library catalog also supports Boolean operators, allowing you to create more complex keyword searches.
Reading a Catalog Record
As shown in the sample detailed record below:
- Use action icons to capture a draft citation or export to EndNote Web or EndNote desktop (RIS)
- After signing in, use Request under Get It to place a "hold" on an out-of-library item or transfer an item from another campus
- Note campus/library, availability, location within library, and classification number
- Expand location information for more details on available copies and loan period
Finding Books On The Shelf
Most works in the library's collections are shelved by Library of Congress classification. The most common location is General Stacks, for which:
- call numbers A through QA are on library's upper floor
- call numbers QB through ZZ are on the library's main floor
- view library map
Sample call number: PR6015 .A33 W57 2001
| PR | Read in alphabetical order: PR files before PS |
| 6015 | Read in numerical order as a whole number: 6015 files before 6016 |
| .A33 | Read the letter in alphabetical order, and read the number as a decimal: .A33 files before .A4 |
| W57 | If there's another letter/number combination, read that number as a decimal even though the decimal point is omitted: W57 files before W6 |
| 2001 | If there's a publication date, read it in numerical order |
Sample call number PR6015 .A33 W57 2001 is shelved in range 328 on the library's upper floor.
