I want to find books on my topic.
Answer
To search for books, open the TC3 Library homepage and select the "Books" tab above the search box. Searching on this tab means your results will automatically be limited to physical (print) books and eBooks (online).
Enter one or two keywords or ideas that describe your topic.
When using the TC3 library Quick Search, it is usually best to keep your search simple. Rather than typing in an entire question - "How is the United States responding to global warming?" - it is helpful to focus on the most important words that describe the subjects you're really interested in. So, you might try a search like this: "global warming United States."
More keyword examples: global warming; bilingual education; student debt; universal healthcare.
Click "Find" to the right of the search box, or press the "Enter" key on your keyboard.
Review the search results page for titles that seem to be related to your topic. The results page includes basic information on each item like title, publication date, format, and the location of the item.
NOTE: If you only want books you can access immediately, use the "Availability" filter on the left side of the page to select "Held By Library" and "Available Online." Then click the "Apply Filters" button that appears once you've selected your filters.
When you find a book that seems to be helpful for your topic, click on the book's Title to see the full record.
A book's full catalog record includes a list of subjects that describe what a book is about. If you decide the book is helpful to you after reading the book's description or table of contents, you can find more books about the same subjects by clicking on the subject you want.
When you're ready to find a book, save the book's call number. You can find the call number either in the availability information right under the title, or in the "Get It" section of the record.
This is how you will locate the book. Physical print books each have their own unique call number, which is like an address telling you where the book lives on the shelves in the library. Books are organized on the TC3 Library shelves by subject, so when you find a book on the shelf, you can browse that section for more books about your topic.
If you need help to locate a call number on the shelf, ask a librarian!
eBooks will not have a call number. Simply click on the link in the "View Online" section of the book's full record. This link will take you to a new page, where you can read the eBook online.
