Depending on your topic, you might find a lot of good information in books located in our library - or other libraries. Be sure to search for books about your topic in the Library Catalog just to see what's out there. This page also has information about searching for books at other libraries - if you find good sources, you can request that they be sent to you!
Use the search box on the library's home page:
Note: To view books only, limit your results to Source Type: Book.
Sometimes people shy away from books because they are longer to read than a journal article. Many disciplines still publish current research in books, so you don't want to miss out on key resources by ignoring books. There are some tricks you can use to understand a book's structure and argument, so you DON'T have to read the whole thing.
Once you have a good idea of the book's structure and argument through skimming, you can narrow in on the portions of the text most useful for your research.
Browse the shelves when you find a useful book. Books are shelved according to topic, so chances are you'll find other relevant books nearby.
Revise your search with keywords and subject headings that you find in your results list.
You need the Collection and Call Number. For instance, in the case below:
To find books in our library, search the Library Catalog - you can also search directly via the search box on the library's homepage. Use our guide to finding books for more on how to use the online catalog and find books on the shelves.
Where do I check out books? Once you find your book, you can check it out at the Information Desk (front desk).
This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
