Finding Books, Journals, Media, and More: Finding Physical Materials at USU Libraries

Search the library catalog (Locate) for the item. Once found, click on it to view the item's detail page. Here you can see:

• the item's availability,
• the library it's in,
• the location within the library,
• and the call number. 

Take note of the floor and section (ex: north or south).

The call number is like an address for the location of the book on the shelf. Read it left to right.

Example:

The call number for Nanoethics: The Ethical and Social Implications of Nanotechnology is T 174.7 .N373199 2007.

To find this book in the Merrill-Cazier Library, first go to the 4th floor, south side and look at the signs on the ends of the shelves. Go alphabetically to the T section.

• Within the T section, it goes numerically. Look on the spines of the books. You will see T 1, T 2, etc. Keep going until you find T 174.7.
• After T 174.7 there is a decimal number that starts with a letter. The letters go alphabetically again. You will see T 174.7 .A, T 174.7 .B, etc. Keep going until you find T 174.7 .N and then .N373199.
• The 2007 represents the year this edition was published.
• You did it! You found T 174.7 .N373199 2007. 

When you are done searching for a book, do not reshelve the book. Place it on one of the open shelves labeled "Reshelving" and library staff will make sure it gets put back in the correct place.

If you want to borrow a book, check it out at the Circulation Desk on the 1st floor.