Q. How can I see if Library Services has a book, video, or article that I want?

You can check our online catalog to see if we own a specific book, video, or article. Our catalog is available on the Library Services home page, and you have the option to search for books, videos, or articles, or search everything all at once. To get started, enter the title or author in the main search box.

If you are not sure which book or video you are looking for, you can try entering some keywords into the same search box instead, or click on "Advanced Search" for more options.

Having trouble? Here are some tips:

• Author search: type in the authors' names last name first. For example: Hemingway, Ernest
   
• Title search: do not include "a," "an," or "the" at the beginning of a title. For example: to find The Sun Also Rises, type Sun Also Rises. Putting the title in quotes can help.
   
• Keyword or Subject search: Think of some keywords to describe your topic, such as coaching college salaries and type them in the search box. As you continue searching you may find official subject terms you can use to help focus your search, such as Coaches (Athletics) -- Salaries, wages, etc. and College sports -- United States.

Once you have entered your search and entered the list of results, you can limit your search in a few ways. These limits can all be found to the left of the results list:

• Format limit: allows you to click to display the type of research materials you want to view, such as articles/chapters, books, videos, etc.
   
• Content limit: allows you to narrow the results of your topic, particularly with journal articles, to “full text” available to view online and “peer-reviewed” articles viewed by experts in the field.
   
• Other limits are available, such as by year and language. You can change your terms in the search box at the top of the screen, but keep in mind that any limits you chose will have to be re-clicked.