Search the library catalog for print resources, ebooks, movies, and more!
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The library catalog is a type of database, so you can use the same search strategies you would use in a database, including "phrase searching," Boolean operators, and truncation.
Search by Keyword
Search as Subject
Search by Author
Search by Title
After you've found a book in the catalog, you'll need to find it on the shelf. Each book has a Library of Congress call number that identifies where exactly it's located.
Library of Congress call numbers should be read one line at a time as follows:
Example of a complete call number, DA 36 .A55:
Line 1 | DA |
Line 2 | 36 |
Line 3 | .A55 |
1. First, look at Line 1: |
Books are arranged in alphabetical order, by the letters on the first line of the call number. Example: first come all the D call numbers, then all the DA call numbers, then DB, etc. |
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2. Next, look at Line 2: |
Within the DA call numbers, books are arranged in number order. The numbers are arranged in numerical from low to high. Example: |
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3. Then look at Line 3: |
Line 3 of the call number has a letter and a number. The letters are in alphabetical order. Then read the numbers—but BEWARE! The numbers are not whole numbers, they are DECIMAL numbers. Example: A55 is read as A .55—this is why A55 comes before A6 (A .55, A .6, A .65, etc.) |
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