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Library Research: Step-by-Step: 2a. Find Books

Interlibrary Loan

If you come across a book you need for your research, and the Library does not own it, request it through Interlibrary Loan (ILL). 

Plan in advance when making ILL book requests, as it can take anywhere from several days to several weeks for your book/s to arrive.

Search the Library Catalog

Enter relevant search terms and select the field you want the catalog to search.

OR

Here is a direct link to the College Library catalog.

Find books in other libraries

You can get books from other libraries (for free!) by using interlibrary loan.  You can search for specific books you already have information about (title, author, etc.) or by subject.  

Dewey Decimal Classification

Use call numbers to actually locate books in libraries.  Most libraries use either the Dewey Decimal classification system (public libraries and small academic libraries, like Bethel) or the Library of Congress classification system.

The major Dewey Decimal divisions are:

000       Computers, information, & general reference
100       Philosophy & psychology
200       Religion
300       Social sciences
400       Language
500      Science
600      Technology
700      Arts & recreation
800      Literature
900      History & geography

Our book stacks on the third level of the library start with the Q's (oversize) books on the west end of the new building, followed by 000 through 339.  Call numbers 340-999 are in the old building to the east.  (You will also find fiction and the Marianne Wiebe Siebert collection of children's literature in the new building; B's--older biographies--are in the old building on the east end.)

What is ProQuest Ebook Central?

is an electronic book collection that spans all academic subject areas and grows at a rate of about 6,000 new titles per year. The College Library has access to ebrary's Academic Complete Collection that currently includes over 138,000 titles.  Users can search for ebooks by title, author, ISBN, LC call number, etc. or browse by publisher or subject. By creating a ebrary bookshelf account, users can manage a virtual bookshelf where they can store, highlight, search, take notes, create folders and even share ebooks.

Search Ebook Central now.

What about the ISBN?

The International Standard Book Number (ISBN) is a 10-digit number that uniquely identifies books and book-like products published internationally.

 

What is the purpose of an ISBN?

The purpose of the ISBN is to establish and identify one title or edition of a title from one specific publisher and is unique to that edition, allowing for more efficient marketing of products by booksellers, libraries, universities, wholesalers and distributors.

What is the format of the ISBN?

Every ISBN consists of ten digits and whenever it is printed it is preceded by the letters ISBN. The ten-digit number is divided into four parts of variable length, each part separated by a hyphen.
When do I use the ISBN?  You do NOT use the ISBN to find a book in a library; use the call number instead. You will use the ISBN when you order books (for example, when you order textbooks, you can check to make sure you have the absolutely correct book by comparing the ISBN on ThresherConnect or with the ISBNs you find in bookstores.)