Get Books, Journals & More  Tags: library research basics  

What your results look like will depend on the type of search you did.

1. A browse search will show you an alphabetical list of authors, subjects, or call numbers

2. A keyword search will show you a list of short records

3. A very specific search will take you to the item record directly

What can I check out and for how long can I use it?

IIT Libraries (if you are looking for the Galvin Library or other IIT libraries)

Call number locations at the Downtown Campus Library (if you are looking for where to find a book in the DTC Library)

Maps of the Downtown Campus Library

Our library uses Library of Congress call numbers, with topics organized as listed below:

Pick up a print guide at the Circulation Desk, or download the pdf files here

Library Maps

Student Guide

As mentioned in Basic Searching, Quick Search offers 3 options that will give you browsing lists - Author, Subject, and Call Number.

These browsable subject lists can be very useful if you want to find the best official search terms. You can also use them to find a topic that's broader or narrower than the one you started with, such as the the topics narrowed down by country below:

Most catalog searches will give you a list of short records that describe a few basic details - title, author, date - and show where the book is and whether you can check it out:

If you have a long list of results, choosing the right sort option will help you find what you're looking for quickly - shorter lists may not show "Relevance" ranking.

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A typical short record looks like this - it shows that Brand Name Bullies, written by David Bollier and published in 2005, is normally shelved at the DTC (Downtown Campus) Library. Learn about other special locations in the library here.

Status: If a book is marked "Circulating" you'll want to check the status to see if it's on the shelf.

This book says "Renewed", someone else has it and has renewed it. 

If it said "Available" instead of "Renewed," you would use the call number to find the book on the shelves. See Finding & Borrowing Items for more information about call numbers and links to library maps.

Items that cannot be checked out will say that they are "Non Circulating". You can learn more about which items you can borrow in our Circulation Policies.

Electronic Resources:

Besides books and journals on the shelf, you can also use the library catalog to find direct links to online electronic resources, from titles in Westlaw and Lexis to digital books like this antique law title:

Note that only Chicago-Kent users with passwords can access Westlaw and Lexis titles.

Other IIT Libraries:

If you see another library name in the location field - such as Galvin, Graham, or Biegler, then you may need to access this title at Galvin library, though many electronic titles are available using your myIIT username and password.

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When you click on the link for a title, or search for a specific book or ISBN/ISSN, you'll see the "record" for the title.  This record tells you information about the book, where you can find it, and if you can check it out. It also provides links to similar items:

1. Find other books by the same author
2. Find other books in the same series
3. Find other books with the same topics
4. Find other books near this one on the shelf

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