I want to find books on my topic.
Answer
Select Books in the drop-down list in the library's catalog. Searching with Books selected means your results will only include physical (print) books and eBooks (online).
Enter one or two keywords or ideas that describe your topic.
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?" - focus on the most important words. You might try global warming United States.
More keyword examples: global warming; bilingual education; student debt; universal healthcare.
Click the magnifying glass to the right of the search box, or press the "Enter" key on your keyboard.
Review the list for titles that look useful for 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, click on the book's Title to get more information.
You'll see a list of subjects that describe what a book is about, sometimes a description and the table of contents. If you decide the book is helpful to you, you can find more books like it by clicking on a subject.
When you're ready to find a book, note 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.
This is how you will locate the book. Print books have their own unique call number, which is like an address telling you where the book is in the library. Books are organized by subject, so when you find a book on the shelf, you can browse that section for more books about your topic.
eBooks will not have a call number. Simply click "Available Online" or the link in the "View Online" section. This link will take you to a new page, where you can read the eBook online.
