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TD 205: World Performance Analysis: Finding Books

Finding Books

Use the resources on this page to explore books on your topic:

  • Search box: Use the search box below to find books (both print and ebooks) in our collection. You can expand your search beyond Gustavus by selecting the "Libraries Worldwide" search option; click on the title of an item and click "Request from another library" if you'd like to borrow a copy. 
  • Examples of the types of books that might be useful for your final project.
  • Tips on locating books in the library, browsing for serendipitous discovery, and using books effectively.

Catalog Search Box

 
 

Advanced Search · Finding Books in the Library

Examples: Books for World Performance Analysis

Here are examples of just a few (of the many!) books that might be useful for your final project.

Locating books in the Library

  • General Collection A-PQ - 3rd floor
  • General Collection PR-Z - 2nd (main) floor
  • Audio Visual - 1st floor
  • Browsing Collection - 2nd (main) floor
  • Children's and Young Adult Collections - 1st floor
  • New Books and Book Displays - Hasselquist Room, 2nd (main) floor
  • Oversize - 3rd floor
  • Periodicals - 1st floor
  • Reference - 2nd (main) floor

Browsing for books

Serendipity plays a big role in research. When looking for books, start by searching the catalog. Once you find a book that looks promising, browse the nearby books. Our library uses the Library of Congress system, which houses books on the same topic near each other. 

Some topics are more easily browsed than others. For example, books by and about a particular writer are shelved together, but books on interdisciplinary subjects, such as environmental science, may be in several places. 

Using Books Effectively

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.

  • Browse 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 to look at the topics discussed

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.

This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0