Searching the Catalog

The Cornell University Library Catalog incorporates the ability to easily break down your search results by record type (book, dissertation, sound recording, etc), and to link to the WorldCat catalog to search the collections of libraries across the country.

Need to find a specific book? See the tutorial!

use the main search box or catalog link which gives you more search options. Putting quotation marks around your search makes it search for the exact phrase

Dissertations

ProQuest Dissertations & Theses

Definitive subject, title and author guide to virtually every American dissertation from 1861-1980. Dissertations published from 1980 forward include 350-word abstracts written by the author. Master’s theses published from 1988 forward include 150-word abstracts. More than 600,000 are available in PDF formats for immediate free download. Citations to pre-1980 dissertations also included.

Guide to Finding Cornell Theses and Dissertations

Searching the library catalogs for Cornell theses and dissertations within a specific department can be tricky, and department designations are not included in the Proquest Dissertations and Theses database.  The "Dissertations and Theses: A Finding Guide" LibGuide explains how to find Cornell theses and dissertations.  For Library of Congress classification numbers for theses by department, please see the Thesis Distribution list.