Writing Research Papers: How to Find the Help You Need

Books in the library are classified and shelved by subject.  If you simply want to browse the shelves, here are some broad call number areas to peruse both in Reference on the second floor and in the Circulating collection on the third floor. 

Literature, Theatre, Film - PN 

Science and Health - Q, R 

Dance - GV 

Art - N 

The online catalog is a database of the library's holdings.  Use the link below to begin.  You can search the catalog by title, author, subject and keyword.  

LibrarySearch

If you are searching for what a particular author has written, use an author search, typing the author's last name first.  If you are looking for criticisms or reviews of an author's work, use a subject search, again typing the author's last name first. 

For a book with the call number PS3537 T3234 G8 1986b: 

The first set of numbers and letters are read alphabetically then numerically: 

• you’ll look for PS after PR 

• then 3537 in numerical order within the PSs 

The next set of letters is again alphabetical but the numbers are in decimal order: 

• look for the Ts 

• then 3234 will come after 31 but before 33.