Finding Books
How to find books in Olin Library
Find books at the Cornell University Library using the
Library of Congress classification system.
Subject Browse
Use the Subject Browse feature to discover books in the catalog. Here are some examples of subject headings I'd find if I were looking for subjects related to smartphones:
Catalogs: Learn to search library catalogs effectively to locate books and other relevant materials
The Cornell University Library Catalog is a database that includes records for materials held in Cornell's non-medical libraries. Use the box on the home page for quick searching for a title, author, or keyword. From the Library's home page, click on the “Catalog” link to go to it directly.
For more advanced searching, use the Advanced Search.
Proviso:
You will not find journal articles in the catalog. Only the titles of journals, magazines, and newspapers are listed along with the years and volumes that Cornell holds. See the next section for more information about finding periodical articles.
Understanding Library of Congress Call Numbers
Reminder: Books with the Call Numbers A to P are housed in Olin, Q to Z in Uris.
How to search
One of the hardest things about looking for materials, especially in a big library, is finding the right way to search for material. Try this search tutorial to learn about improving your search "game' when it comes to using the Cornell Library catalog:
How to Use Search Terms
Typical Catalog Record
A typical catalog record for a book held by the library will include the title, author, publisher, edition/date, library location and call number (for locating the book in the library stacks), subject heading links (to lead to other materials on the same subject), and often a table of contents or summary description of the contents.
