Finding and Using Books

To search for books, you will be using the library's Discovery Search.  You will see the word "Books" by the radio button under the search box.  Click the "Books" button before searching your subject.   By using the basic search option, you can search by title, subject, author, or even call number. If you are confused about how to search, just ask a librarian for assistance.

Books available for check out are located on the 2nd floor of the library. Audio books available for checkout are located at the south end of the 1st floor.  The books, audio books, and videos are shelved by the use of the Dewey Decimal Classification system. The map of the library will aid you in finding where a particular book is shelved as well as the locations for videos, books on CD, and reference.

In addition to the books that are available for you to check out, Reference books are shelved on the first floor. Because of the nature of these books, they cannot be checked out, but they are available for use in the library.  The Reference Collection is located on the first floor of the library in the northeast corner.

Books in our library are cataloged through the use of the Dewey Decimal System.

• Note that all human knowledge is divided into these Ten Major Categories.
• Call numbers from this system are used to locate books on the shelves.

Another great resource available through Southwestern's library is the ability to access electronic versions of print books on your computer screen.  E-books are available to you from these vendors: eBook Collection (EBSCO), Ebook Central (ebrary), and ABC-CLIO Greenwood Ebooks.  

Check out these resources by searching the catalog through the database listings or through the link that is titled E-Books. The publishers have instructions and tutorials explaining how to use the books. Titles from the vendors that are listed above allow you to save books to your own bookshelf. Check out these great resources; they are available for you to use at all hours from all locations.

What do you do if the Al Harris Library does not own a book that you need for your research? This is why we use World CAT and have InterLibrary Loan services.

Search the holdings of academic, public, and special libraries throughout the US and the world by using WorldCat.

ILL gives all SWOSU students, faculty, and staff members a fast and convenient way to obtain materials that are not available in the SWOSU Libraries' collection.

Follow this link to read the information on the ILL page to learn how to request resources from other libraries.