Research Tutorial: Finding Books
Locating books on topic adds context and overview to your research project.
UC Library Catalog
- Lists all the books, journals and newspapers available in the UC Library
- Allows you to search by keyword, subject, title and author
- Tells you the location and status of the item
- Location: the general location of the item in the Library building
- Call Number: the exact location of the item in the Library Collection using Library of Congress Classification
- Status: whether the item is available, for in-library use only (Reference or Reserves) or checked out
Searching the Library Catalog
Keyword searching is a great place to begin, but subject searches can help you narrow results to those in your specific topic area
Subject Searches
- Help tailor results to your topical area
- Provide a range of topic options and similar subject areas
- Search the Library Catalog by subject
- Type a subject term in the box
- Select "Subject" from the drop down menu
- Hit the Search button
- Tip: your keywords or broad topic area terms are a great place to start a subject search
Keyword Searches
- Provide general results in a topical area
- Provide the broadest range of results
- Search the Library Catalog by keyword
- Type your keyword into the box
- Hit the Search button
FirstSearch WorldCat Database
- WorldCat is a national and international version of the UC Library Catalog
- The WorldCat database lists all the books, journals, newspapers and other library materials owned by hundreds of library's worldwide
- UC Library's library materials are listed in WorldCat
Searching WorldCat
- Open WorldCat
- Enter your keyword or keywords into the search boxes
- Select any limits you'd like
- Hit the Search button
Getting the Book
UC Library Owns the Book
- Note the location and call number of the book
- Use the How Do I ... Find Materials in the Library guide
UC Library Does Not Own the Book
- InterLibrary Loan (ILL) is a free service where UC Library borrows a book from another library on your behalf
- Go to InterLibrary Loan (ILL)