Finding books

Using the library catalog

To locate books, journal subscriptions, and other material held by the University of St. Thomas Libraries, search CLICnet, the libraries' online catalog.  CLICnet is the library catalog for the St. Thomas Libraries as well as the other CLIC libraries (Augsburg, Bethel, Concordia, Hamline, Macalester, Northwestern, and St. Catherine's.)  St. Thomas students, faculty, and staff may use their St. Thomas ID cards to check out and put holds on the books from these libraries. You can search a number of ways, including

• By author (last name first)
• By title
• By keyword - combine search terms with the "and" connector:
  --latin america and economy
  --bible and james
  --cloning and ethics

For help, see the catalog's FAQ page. If you have questions, ask a librarian.

Browsing the shelves

A library's call number classification system tries to group together books on similar topics.  Once you are familiar with the call number of material in your subject area, you can browse the same part of the shelves for useful material.  Remember, however, that you may need to look in more than one place; related subjects may cover several shelves with slightly different call numbers.

The St. Thomas Libraries use the Library of Congress call numbers. By looking at the beginning letters of the call number, you can tell what subject area you are in.  To be more specific, perform a keyword or subject search in our CLICnet library catalog.

Identify and evaluate the books

• Here are some of the factors to consider in evaluating books:  is the author an expert in their field?  What are their credentials?  Do they back up their statements with citations to their sources?
• More on evaluating sources

Find books in the University of St. Thomas Libraries

Once you have searched the CLICnet library catalog and found a book that you need, note the library location (which library it's in), call number, and whether or not it's checked out.  Books housed in all the UST libraries are shelved in call number order.  Books that can be checked out may be labeled as shelved in the stacks.  Ask at the library for details or directions.

Electronic books

Electronic books can be viewed from links in the CLICnet catalog. See Other Library Catalogs for more information, or ask a librarian for assistance.

Get books not available at the University of St. Thomas Libraries

The CLICnet Library catalog includes books available at the other CLIC Libraries (Augsburg, Bethel, Concordia, Hamline, Macalester, Northwestern, and St. Catherine's.)  You can go to that library and check out the book in person, or click on the red Request button to request it online.  See Requesting Material from Other CLIC Libraries.

To search the University of Minnesota or other libraries' catalogs, go to the Other Library Catalogs page.  Use WorldCat to search libraries worldwide.  You can use the same subject headings to search these catalogs.

You can request books not owned by St. Thomas  through Interlibrary Loan.  If you have questions, ask a librarian.

Searching for videos, DVDs, music scores, and related materials

To search for videos and DVDs, use CLICnet, the libraries' catalog.  You can search by title, author, or keyword (topics, actors, directors, performers, etc.)  Be sure to limit your search to "Videos/Films."  These materials are kept in the Media Resources Collection.

Music scores and recordings can also be searched in the CLICnet library catalog by title, author, or keyword.  You can limit your search to "Sound Recordings/Music Scores."  These materials are kept in the Music Resource Center.

See also:

• Library of Congress Classification System
• Using other libraries effectively

To summarize:

• Use library catalogs such as CLICnet to search for books
• Browse library shelves to find books on similar topics
  Next step: Finding articles