Don't forget, you don't need to use the whole book. Want to use just a chapter? Let us scan it for you. Fill out this form and bring it and the book up to the front (circulation) desk and we'll scan it and email it to you.
Finding a book on a topic is sometimes easier, and sometimes conversely more difficult than finding a specific book you know the title of. Start with a basic search of the library catalog. The left column will have options to narrow your results. This is an easy way to narrow to just print or e-books. You can also use a subject search to get other books on similar topics that might not use the exact words you searched for. Once you find a book in the catalog, you need to look at 3 different things to figure out where to find the book.
First: Look at the status (in the blue box)--Is your book Available or Checked out?
Second: Determine what collection (in the purple box)--Which floor is the book on?
Third: Write down the call number (in the green box)--This call number is like the book's address. You need the whole thing.
This book is in the Circulating Collection on the third floor. You know it's the third floor and not the first floor because the Call Number starts with ND which is between L-Z, not A-K. Remember, other books on the same topic should be shelved near this book. It might be a good time to head to the shelves in that section and browse for a book that works for your needs.
If you locate an e-book we own, you can just click "View Ebook" to read it. More about how to use e-books can be found on this guide.
Looking for a specific book or book chapter? Use the library catalog to see if we own it. Use "quotation marks" around the title of the book, and add the author if you know it for generic titles.
Once you find the book in the catalog, use the directions above to use the call number to locate the book or to view the e-book.
If it doesn't appear like we own the book, find the record for the print book in the search results and click on the Availability tab. Click on the Request this Item through InterLibrary Loan/E-Delivery button. This will prompt you to log in using your UD network log in. It should auto fill the information you need, and you just need to click Submit Request at the bottom. We'll email you when your book arrives and you can pick it up.
Looking for an article on a particular topic? Your best bet is to find a subject specific database appropriate to your topic. Our databases are organized by disciplines in our Databases by Subject list. Limiters like date published, subject, resource type, etc. exist on the left column of most of our databases and can help you narrow your search. You might also want to check out the Subjects or Thesaurus for the database you're using to determine the library language used to describe your topic. Need more help or aren't sure where these functions are in your database? Check out this guide that can help you get started.
If you have the full or even partial citation (as long as it has the journal title) of an article you want to find, here's the fastest way to get to the full-text. Use the Journal List to search for the journal title to see if the journal is located in the library in print, or which database it is in. Click on that database, use the citation to find the correct issue and then record for the article to find the full-text. If you get this far, but that article doesn't have full-text access, use the Find It button on that screen to request the full-text. If it's not listed in Journal List, use Interlibrary Loan to request the article. (For more help, check out this page about getting to full-text articles.)