How to Find a Book

The Call Number / Library Locations / Finding a Book Not on the Shelf / Browsing by Subject Area / Other Sources

All books held in the Coates Library are listed in Quest, the library’s online catalog. Quest terminals are located on all floors of the library. Books can be found through author title, subject, keyword, or call number searches. Instructions for Quest searching are available both online and in printed guides near the terminals. Ask at the Reference Desk if you have any questions, or if Quest is unavailable.

The number you will need to locate the book on the shelf, after you find it in the catalog is known as the "Call Number." It is designed to show broad subject, specific subject, author code and date using a combination of letters and numbers. The call number appears on the spine of the book in a vertical manner, as in the sample below.

You will note that in our catalogs this number appears horizontally, following the entry, as - QC851.L43 1978

LIBRARY LOCATIONS

Quest will also list a location description for each book. It is important to note the location so as to know where in the library the book is located. The location appears on the Quest screen, as in the sample below.

Most books will indicate Stacks as a location, which refers to the main collection of books shelved on the 1^st, 2^nd, and 4^th floors of Coates Library. Specific ranges of call numbers are assigned to each floor. Call Numbers A-C, M will be found on the 1^st floor; D-L call numbers on the 2^nd floor, and N-Z call numbers on the 4^th floor.

Check signs at elevators and stairways for other locations. Hours for some locations differ from the Coates Library hours. Check opening and closing times before visiting the locations listed below.

CLT: Center for Learning and Technology 1^st Floor
RARE BOOKS: Rare Books and Special Collections 2^nd Floor

If a book cannot be found on the shelf, you may wish to double-check the book’s call number and location. Next, check the preshelving area for the floor you are on. The preshelving room on the main floor, next to Circulation, is open to all library users and contains books ready to be returned to the shelves. You might also want to check carts by the copiers throughout the library. If the book is not in any of these areas, you may ask Circulation staff to place a hold, or you can ask that a search be conducted.

Books and bound periodicals are assigned call numbers and arranged on the shelves according to the Library of Congress System of Classification which groups books by subject. It is possible to browse a call number area for books on a specific subject. Books on astronomy will be found in the QB section while PR call numbers are assigned to English Literature. Check the Library of Congress Classifications handout for a more detailed outline of call number classifications by subject.

The Coates Library houses many books in microform collections dealing with American history and culture. These titles, mostly published in the 18^th and 19^th centuries, are not listed in Quest. Check the Microforms Guide for a list of collections and check for guides to specific collections in the Microform Reading Room.

If you need additional help in locating a book, seek assistance at the Information Commons Desk on the third floor.