English 100: Finding Books

- Always write down the call number of your book, because this is what allows you to locate the book on the shelf.

- In the Archer Library, non-reference books are on the 3rd and 4th floors.

- Not all books in the library are considered scholarly books.  Check here (.pdf document) or here for tips on determining if a book is scholarly enough to use in your essay.

If you both live and study outside of Regina, check out the guide below.

Start looking for books by using the Library's QuickFind:

1. Enter search terms related to your research.
2. On your results page, click on "Books" under "Resource Type" on the left side of the page.
3. If you're not seeing useful books, alter your search terms, or use the "Refine Your Search" tools on the left side of the page.
4. Once you find a book you'd like to access, click on the title. Look for the call number, next to the name of the Library the books is in (example: if your see "ARCHER Library ARCHER PR 2976 D97" then the call number is PR 2976 D97).
5. To get a book in person, write down the call number and go to the floor the book is shelved on (check the maps posted in the Library stair/elevator areas).

Want to recommend a book?  Let us know!

This brief video will walk you through how Boolean searching works.

Looking for a book that's not in the library?  Find books outside our collection using the resources in the boxes below.

Once you have information about the book you need from another collection, make an inter-library loan (ILL) request.

WorldCat is the world's largest bibliographic database, with approximately 180 million bibliographic records of any type of material, in 470 languages.  It's like being able to search through all the libraries of the world at once.  Use it to determine if you have located all books in your subject area, or to see if a book will be easily available through Inter-Library Loan.

Includes access to separate parallel databases such as ArticleFirst (articles), PapersFirst (conference papers), Proceedings (conferences), and OISter (digital objects).

Google Books allows you to get a sneak peek at some publications.  Search here to get a look at excerpts from books to help you determine if a book is worth taking the time to track down.