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Library Research Basics : Books

How to Find Books

Search the Library Catalog to find books, eBooks, and dvd's.

You can search by keyword ("everything"), author, title, or subject heading.

The results list will give you basic information about each item, including availability. To find out more, click on Details.

 

You need a Call Number (Example HV5825 .B62 2012)  to locate a physical book in the library. Books that are available to be checked out are located in STACKS - General Circulating Collection.
 
If the book is electronic (eBook) you will click on the URL icon to open the ebook. The library has over 70,000 ebooks available for you to use.

Finding a Book by Call Number

Library of Congress Call NumbersBook cover

The books in our library are shelved by call number  using Library of Congress Classification.

Book title: Discovering the Great Masters
Author: Paul Crenshaw
Call Number: ND1145 .C74 2009

Finding Books on the Shelf

Read call numbers line by line.

ND
Read the first line in alphabetical order:
A, B, BF, C, L, LA, LB, LC, M, N...

1145
Read the second line as a whole number:
1, 2, 3, 45, 100, 101, 1000, 1145, 2430...

.C74
The third line is the trickiest part of the call number! Read the letter alphabetically.
Read the number as a decimal
:

.C524 will come before .C74 (read them as .C524 and .C740)

Some call numbers have more than one combination letter-number line.

2009
The last line is the year the book was published. Read in chronological order:
1985, 1991, 2009...

Can't find it at HU?

Use Interlibrary Loan (ILL) to get items from other libraries

Interlibrary Loan

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William R. and Norma B. Harvey Library
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