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Libraries & Cultural Resources

Research Guides

Science 311

Finding Books

  • Use the search box on the Library home page to search for either a known book title, or just search keywords to find books on your topic.
  • The results screen will show many item types (books, book chapters, articles, dissertations, etc.). You can filter to just books and book chapters using the options on the left-hand side of the results page.
  • Print books: Some books are in print, on the shelf at various locations. The results will display their location in TFDL or one of the branches on a map. If a book is at the High Density Library (off-site storage), you'll have the option to place a hold and it will be shipped to main campus for you to pick up at the branch of your choice.
  • E-books: The library increasingly prefers to purchase e-books. If a book is available online, you'll see a link to click through to it. Please be aware that publishers may place limits on e-book use, in terms of limiting how many users can use the book at once, or not allowing full downloads.
  • Interlibrary loan: If you need a book or book chapter that we don't have, you can make an interlibrary loan request (also found under Services on the library home page) and we'll borrow it from another library for you. There is no charge for this service. Keep in mind that a chapter scan be scanned and e-mailed, resulting in faster delivery, so if you only need a chapter, choose "book chapter" rather than "book" as your option. Entire books cannot be scanned due to copyright laws, and must be mailed, so consider whether a book would arrive in time for you to use it.

Libraries & Cultural Resources