Research Guides: Find Free &amp; Affordable Textbooks &amp; Course Materials: Find Textbooks at the Library

Where to Start

There are a few ways to find textbooks through UO libraries.

The first place to check is UO Libraries catalog, LibrarySearch. This searches all the print and digital material UO owns and the materials you can access through UO subscriptions, like eBook databases.
If you can't find your textbook through LibrarySearch, the next place to check is Course Reserves. If your book is available through course reserves than you can go to the library and check it out for short periods (usually three hours).

library search search bar LibrarySearch offers a streamlined interface for finding books and other media that combines the collections of UO Libraries and Summit libraries. Try searching for your textbook on LibrarySearch, you can filter your search to include only print materials, or eResources available through UO to see eBooks that you can read for free. For more help check out the LibrarySearch video tutorial.

Course Reserves

Course reserves are required course materials (like textbooks!) that are placed in specially designated areas within the library and given shortened loan periods. Course Reserves include library- and instructor-owned books, videos, audio recordings, and other relevant materials in support of classroom instruction.

We don't typically have enough copies of a book on Reserve for everyone in a class, but this is a good option if your course materials are expensive and you want to borrow the book for short periods of time. To check if your course materials are on Reserve, visit our Course Reserves page and search by your instructor's name or the course number.