Finding Books Guide
If You Know the Title of a Book
Look in the Library catalog (InvestiGator) to find books owned by the SFSU Library. If you find a record for the book in the catalog, check the STATUS to be sure it is available today! (see the box below)
| LOCATION | CALL # | STATUS |
| MAIN COLLECTION | PS1300 .F72 vol.8 2003 | AVAILABLE |
If You Want to Find Books on a topic
- Search by keyword in the InvestiGator Catalog. For more information see the Oasis tutorial page for Searching InvestiGator by Keyword.
- Once you find relevant titles, use the Subject Heading links from within the catalog to find related resources. For more information see the Oasis tutorial page for Searching InvestiGator by Subject.
- You can also search the Investigator Catalog using Subject Headings. Most academic libraries use the Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH), which may not use the same words you are thinking to describe your topic. You may need to use synonyms to identify the right subject headings for your topic, but once you do you can use them in multiple catalogs, including Link+ and the WorldCat database.
What If We Do Not Own it or It Is Checked-out?
If we do not own a book or if the book you want is checked out, click on the “Search Link+” button to search for it in a larger number of libraries. (Link+ is a cooperative program among participating California libraries.) If your book is available at another library, it will be sent to the Book Check Out Counter in about 3-4 days and you can pick it up there.
If you cannot find your book using Link+, go to Borrowing Items from Other Libraries to see more options.
How Do I Locate the Book on the Shelf?
If the STATUS of the book is AVAILABLE, write down the Call Number before you begin searching for a book in the shelves.
The first letters of the call number indicate which floor the book is located on.
For example, the call number for The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is PS1305 .A1, so the book is located on the 2nd floor.
| Call Number Chart | |
| Call Number | Location |
| Q-T, Reference | 1st Floor |
| P, periodicals | 2nd Floor |
| D-N | 3rd Floor |
| A-C, U-Z | 4th Floor |
| Government collection | 5th Floor |
| Archives/special collections | 6th Floor |
To find the specific location of a book, you need to know more about Call Numbers. View the chart below on how to read each line of the call number on the spine of a book.
| First line, read alphabetically" Second line, read as a whole number" Third line, read alphabetically then as a decimal number" Final lines, read alphabetically then numerically" |
D 1 .A15 |
D 9 .A2 2005 |
D 25 .A1 W570 1982 |
DA 1 A1 |
If an Item is not on the Shelf
If the book’s status is “available” but it’s not on the shelf, check the “Sorting Area” for that floor. If it’s not there, go to the Book Check Out Counter and fill out a Search Request. When it is declared missing in the Library Catalog you can request it through Link+.
