Introduction to Library Research

Finding Books Continued

Catalog Records

Once you have run your search and retrieved a list of search results, you will see information about each of your results, including the title, author, publisher and date(s) of publication. In addition, each record indicates the location or library where the book is located, the call number, and its availability.

You can click on the "Add" icon in the upper left corner of the record to add this record to a folder. This lets you save, email or export your list of resources for future use.

Select one of your search results to see more detailed information about a book.

By clicking on the tabs within the record, you can see more details about the item to determine if it fits your research needs. Depending on the book, you may even be able to see a preview of the text.

The options in the upper right section of the record let you perform tasks such as emailing or texting the record, generating a citation for the book, importing the record into RefWorks, recalling the book if it is currently checked out or in storage, or requesting it to be delivered to another library on campus for you to pick-up.

Call Numbers

The call number that is used to find the book on the shelf is based on the Library of Congress (LC) Classification system. The LC system organizes books by subject so you can browse the shelves for books on the same topic. As you do more research, you will become more familiar with the LC areas relevant to your interests, but any librarian is also happy to help you with these subjects and call numbers.

Below is an outline of the LC Classification system: