Library &
Information Science: Finding Books
Library
Catalogs
Start from the Buley
Library Homepage <>.
- Select CONSULS
the online CSU catalog for books, journal holdings,
videos and other materials at Southern and the other CSU libraries including
the Connecticut State Library.
- Use ReQuest
the statewide library catalog to find books from many public and academic
libraries in Connecticut.
- Use WorldCat
to find books from all over the world, contains over 40 million records from
1000 BC to present.
How to use CONSULS
: See also CONSULS
Help Sheet .
CONSULS is a shared online
catalog for Southern (S), Central (C), Eastern (E), Western (W) Connecticut
State Universities, and the Connecticut State Library. Select search method
and enter search term/terms in the box provided. The number of entries found
and a list of titles will be displayed. Depending on your topic, you may need
to conduct your search by:
- Keyword
: Use this if you are searching for a word
or combining two or more concepts, like distance education and libraries.
Use AND, OR, NEAR, and NOT in between words.
- Author
: Use this to search for a specific author,
editor, names of artists and composers, government bodies or names of organizations.
Last name should be entered first.
- Title
: Use this if you already know the title
of a book or document and want to know if the library owns a copy. Type some
or all of the exact title from its beginning including 'a', 'an', or 'the'.
- Subject
: Use the exact subject heading. CONSULS
uses subject headings established by the Library of Congress. Type as much
or as little of the SUBJECT as you know. If your search term does not match
a Library of Congress subject heading, you will be given a choice of terms
to choose from.
- Author/Title
: Use this if you know both the author and
the title.
- Journal
Title : Use this if you need to know whether
the library owns a specific journal. Type the exact JOURNAL TITLE from its
BEGINNING. To find articles in periodicals, return to Buley
Homepage <> and select Online
Databases .
- Course
Reserves : Reserve materials
may be available in paper, electronic, or in both formats. Search the reserve
materials by course name
or name of your professor
or instructor .
Last name first.
- Other Searches :
Click on the blue title link to search.
- Family
Name - Search Consuls for family names
within the Connecticut State Library Collection. Type the family name
from its beginning. For example, Abercrombie
- LC
Call Number - Search the Consuls catalog
using Library of congress call numbers. Type as much of the Library of
Congress Call Number as you know. For example, Z 711.W45 2000
- Dewey
Call Number - Search the Consuls catalog
using Dewey Decimal Call Numbers. Type as much of the Dewey call number
as you know. For example, 402.175
- Government
Document Number - Search the Consuls
catalog using government document (SUDOCS) classification numbers. Type
as much of the SUDOCS number as you know. For example, Y1.1
- Publishers
Numbers - Search the Consuls catalog
using publisher's numbers. These include ISBN and ISSN. For example, 00-038052,
0024-2179.
- Local
Call Number - Search the Consuls
catalog using a local call number. Type as much of the number as you know.
For example, Juvenile Z378w
What to
do you do if SCSU Buley Library does not own the book you need?:
Inter
Consuls Loan : With your
student I.D. number, the 8-digit red number located on the front of your student
I.D., and library pin number, books can be requested from Central, Eastern or
Western online through CONSULS and picked up or returned at the Circulation Desk
of your choice. If you find a book in CONSULS and another CSU library has an available
copy, click on the "Request Book" button at the top of the screen and fill out
the form. Make sure you specify the pick up location. It takes 4-5 working days
for the book to get to Buley.
If the book you need does
not appear in CONSULS, you have 2 options:
- Use ReQuest
to find out if any Connecticut libraries own it, or select a library to search
from our "Other
Libraries" link list, and
arrange to go to the library yourself. It's a good idea to call the other
library before you go and ask whether you'll be able to check books out.
- Complete an Interlibrary
Loan (ILL) form and we
will find a copy of the book or article and have it sent to Buley. Requests
can be made by filling out forms available at the Circulation Desk or going
to the Library's home page and accessing Interlibrary Loan Forms, requests
form for books or request
form for journal articles .
It takes generally about 2-3 weeks to arrive and so plan ahead. This service
is available only for books not owned by a CSU library.
Clara Ogbaa
Associate Librarian, ILS Liaison
©2002 Southern
Connecticut State University
