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ARS451-01 Contemporary Issues in Photography (Frank)

Tips for Library Catalog Searching

Put an artist's name in quotes to find books containing a chapter or entry on their work:

Screen shot of catalog tab on library website with "Carrie Mae Weems" in quotes, to find her name as a phrase in records

Try keyword searches for topical books and then locate related subjects headings:

Screen shot of a library catalog record with arrows pointing to "Get it" where you can request curbside, and subject headings, which link you to related resources.

To search thousands of libraries and request items through interlibrary loan, try:

How do I use the call number to find my book?

The Sojourner Truth Library uses the Library of Congress Classification System for the call numbers it assigns to most of the items in its collections, including Reference, in-depth books (Stacks), and Media.

The Library of Congress Classification arranges materials by subjects. The first sections of the call number represent the subject of the item. Because books are classified by subject, you can often find several helpful books on the same shelf, or nearby.

This video created by the Douglas College Library offers some helpful tips for reading a Library of Congress Call number to locate an item