Finding Information: Step Three A

Finding Specific Kinds of Sources: Find Books

Books are great places to look for an overview of your topic. Often there are not a lot of books that are written about a very narrow topic or the narrower aspects of a broader topic -- in that case look for chapters about narrower topics. Use the book's table of contents or index. Remember -- reference books are great places to find facts about your topic to support discussions or reviews you've found elsewhere.

• To locate books that OSU-Stillwater owns, use the OSU Library Catalog. The HELP buttons are context sensitive. Note: This means that when you are looking at a SEARCH screen and click HELP it will take you to the section of HELP that is about searching.

• Use the list of concepts and synonyms created in Define Your Topic to search in the OSU Library Catalog. You probably want to begin with a keyword search. Check the OSU Library Catalog QuickGuide for hints!

• When you have located a book that you want to look at or check out:
  • Print the citation or write out at least the title, location, and entire call number
  • Look at the location listed for the book and compare it to a Call Slip, one of the little white slips of paper that are located next to computer workstations throughout the OSU library, or to the lists of call numbers posted in the stairwells.

• Make sure to look to see if there is any type of note in the library catalog record that tells you that the book is located in an area other than a standard stack location. Examples are:
  • reference areas on First or Fifth Floor
  • current periodicals area on First Floor east
  • Special Collections and University Archives
  • Government Documents
  • Map Room
  • Microform and Media Room

• Make sure to look in which library the item you are seeking is located. Most materials at the OSU Stillwater campus are located in the Main Library (Edmon Low Library). There are, however, four libraries on campus:
  • Edmon Low Library
  • John Rex Cunningham Architecture Library
  • Veterinary Medicine Library
  • Mary L. Williams Curriculum Materials Library (CML)

• Once you have located the items, take them to the nearest circulation desk and use your OSU ID, Courtesy Card, or OK-SHARE Card to check them out.

Accessibility Legend
	Resource available via the Internet to everyone free of charge.
	Resource available via the Internet to the Oklahoma State University community (faculty, staff, and students), Stillwater campus. These resources may be available to other users depending upon permissions from their home institution.
	Resource available via CD-ROM at public workstations in the Oklahoma State University Library. These resources may be available to other users depending upon resources at their home institution.
	Resource available in print at the Oklahoma State University Library. All call numbers refer to this library. These resources may be available to users at other locations.

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Last Update: 15 August 2006
Contact Web Editor: lib-web@okstate.edu
URL: http://www.library.okstate.edu/infolit/step3a.htm