FTS: The Good Life: Finding Books

Depending on your topic, you might find a lot of good information in books (both paper books and ebooks). Be sure to search for books about your topic in the library catalog just to see what's out there.

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.

• Read the table of contents 
• Read the book's introduction/first chapter AND conclusion/last chapter - these present and highlight the main arguments
• The end of chapter one will often provide a roadmap for the rest of the book
• Skim chapter headings
• Browse the index 

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.

Where do I check out books? Once you find your book, you can check it out at the Information Desk (front desk).

You need the Collection and Call Number. For instance, in the case below:
the Collection is "General Collection" and the Call Number is "B162 .B66 2020"

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.