The SUU Library Catalog can be used to locate books, ebooks, media, and textbooks owned by the Sherratt Library.
Note for INFO 1010:
For your Module 3 assignment, you will need to search the catalog, and for the Module 4 Assignment, you will need to find not just articles but at least one book as well. The Module 4 Assignment is looking for a citation to a book on your research topic. Books are best found in the library catalog, which contains the records of all the items we physically own and house in the library building, as well as access to the ebook databases.
The easiest way to access any of the Catalog is to go to the Find Books and Media link under the Find section on the Library’s homepage (suu.edu/library). Clicking this link brings you to the Catalog page where you can start searching. You can also start your search in the Catalog Search bar to the right of the Library’s homepage.
Searching the Catalog is the same as a database search: you use your search terms, separated by Boolean operators, but here you search everything in the Catalog using your terms. Advanced Search gives you multiple search bars and options to take your searching to the next level.
For example, if you do a keyword search for women and sports, your results will include records with both keywords. If you did the same search but selected title search in the drop down menu by the search bar, you would only find records with the keywords in the title. So the different search options in the drop down menus by the search bar are ways to limit your search from the start, which is helpful if you know the title of the book you're searching for, or if you want to search books by a specific author, etc.
Advanced Search gives you multiple search bars and options to take your searching to the next level. And you can add filter options from the start, from changing where you are searching for each search bar in the drop down menus, which can be helpful if you are searching for a specific book or if you want to search books by a specific author, etc.
If you want to limit your search further, such as by a specific source type like an ebook or DVD, you can use the filters on the left sidebar to filter by Item, Types, or Location, etc. If you did want to search the ebook collection only, all you would have to do is check the ebook box and then press search.
The results of your searches are generally listed in order of relevance, unless you choose a different sorting.You can click on the title of the result to get to the detailed catalog record. You can tell from the details in the results list what format the book is in by how it's accessed and whether it is available for loan. Ebooks will have an online access link. Print books will generally be available for loan and will have their call number listed.
NOTE: If you are having trouble accessing an ebook, the easiest way to fix it is by clearing your browser cache, or history to reset the cookies in your browser. Here are links to instructions on how to do this in Chrome, Firefox, and Safari. If you are unsure on how to do this in a different browser, search the Internet for “how to clear cache” for your particular browser.
If an item is not available, you can also put a Hold on it by clicking the Place Hold button that can be found in the detailed record of an item. Warning: holds may take awhile to receive.
The detailed record will let you know if the items are checked in or not and the due date if it is currently checked out. There will also be more publication details, which can also help you create a proper citation. It is important to note that the detailed record will clearly label all the information, such as the call number and location, which tells you where in the library the item is located and in which collection. There will also be a list of subject headings, a table of contents or abstract that can give you more information about the item, to determine if the item is useful to you.
The Call Numbers are important, since they are essentially the address of where books are in the library. However, all books usually have call numbers, even ebooks. Call Numbers are used to group books on similar topics together so you can find similar books while browsing the shelves. You can do the same thing with ebooks too. It's in a slightly different place, but in the Catalog, you can find the call number for an ebook in the detailed record, under the LOC Classification, which is short for the Library of Congress Classification System, which is talked about more in the section titled Finding Books in the Library.
On the INFO 1010 Final Exam, you will be asked to get the call number for the book you find. Even for ebooks you should know where to find the Call Number.
If you find a print book you want to use, you need to physically find it in the library to check it out. Libraries use call numbers, essentially the book's address in the library, to locate the books on the shelves in the library. The Sherratt Library mostly uses the Library of Congress Classification System (LOC Classification) for call numbers. This means that the call numbers will all start with letters that indicate the broad subject. The shelves are organized first alphabetically (which means they are organized by subject) and then the numbers that follow will sort the books by more specific topic and then author.
The main collection is on the 2nd floor, with other specific collections on the other floors. Once you have found an item you want to use, you can then bring it to the Check Out Desk on the 1st floor to check it out (borrow it) for two weeks.
If you are looking for a book that the library doesn't have, you can order it through our free Interlibrary Loan (ILL) service. You can also order articles through this service. Make sure you give ILL enough time for the book or article to arrive. We get these items from other libraries and books have to be mailed so they take longer. Digital holdings (e.g. article PDFs) can arrive in just a few days.
