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University of Oregon
UO Libraries

LibrarySearch Help

This guide provides information on the different ways you can use LibrarySearch to locate print and electronic resources.

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How to read an LC Call Number

Library of Congress (LC) Call Numbers are like an item's address to help you find where it lives on the shelf. Each letter stands for an academic discipline. In the image below, L is for Education, LD is for Individual Institutions - United States. Can you guess which institution is at LD 4363 .U55 2006

Photo of UO Libraries books on shelf

To read a call number, read the number from left to right or top to bottom as follows:

  1. Alphabetically (L before LC, LC before LD)
  2. Numerically (4363 before 4364.6)
  3. Alphabetically (.A before .B
  4. Decimal order (.A2 before .A5 or .A55
  5. (Sometimes there are more pieces in alphabetical and then numerical order here)
  6. Finally, chronologically (1985 before 1986) This is year of publication and may or may not be included.

Lastly, the shelf is organized from top to bottom in sections, so you'll zig-zag down each section zig zag arrow starting at top left and moving downward to the right and back, like the left to right direction of reading in Englishto look for your call number before moving to the next section. 

A screen capture of a book's location details indicating the location of the "locate" button near the call number

Bonus: You can also click the "Locate" option in LibrarySearch to see a floor map with the number of the shelf your item is on.

Result of "locate" item for book at call number LD 4364.6 .O73 is at Design Library, 2nd Floor, shelf #2

LC Subject Classification

Library of Congress Classification Subject Areas

Please note, some of the UO Libraries' materials may be located in branch libraries or special locations within Knight Library.

Letter
Subject Area
A General Works
B Philosophy, Psychology, Religion
C Auxiliary Sciences of History
D World History
E History of the Americas
F History of the Americas
G Geography, Anthropology, Recreation
H Social Sciences
J Political Science
K Law
L Education
M Music
N Fine Arts
P Language and Literature
Q Science
R Medicine
S Agriculture
T Technology
U Military Science
V Naval Science
Z Bibliography, Library Science, Information Resources

To drill down into the LC Classification Outline, use the link below:

Search for Books and eBooks

To look for print or eBooks held in UO Libraries and Summit, change the drop down menu to 'UO + Summit' (see below). This will limit your search to books, eBooks, and similar items, and will remove articles from the results.

After you've done the search, limit to just print books or eBooks by going to "Refine My Results > Resource Type" on the left and select these options (see below). 

**eBooks are not available for loan from Summit libraries.

LibrarySearch book search example in UO and Summit

Refine my results to print books and ebooks  

 

Request a Print Book

You can request a UO Libraries' book held at any of our locations to be sent to your preferred pickup location--any of our branch libraries, as well as home delivery. To do this click on the book's title and then scroll down to "Request Options," select the "Request UO Item" link, and select your preferred delivery option. If the book is currently checked out this option also serves as a way to recall the book. You must be logged in to your Library Account to see the request options.

Request a print book from UO Libraries

Request a Chapter from a Print Book

If you only need a chapter from a print book the UO Libraries provides a service called Scan & Deliver where you can place a request to have a copy of the item made for your use (subject to copyright restrictions). To request a print chapter in LibrarySearch, click on the title then scroll down to "Request: Scan & Deliver." Complete the form with information about the chapter--including page numbers--to complete the request. You must be signed in to your Library Account to see the request options.

Request a chapter through Scan & Deliver service

Beyond UO Libraries: Summit

If the book you want is checked out from the UO Libraries, or if it's not available from UO Libraries, you can request it through the Summit system. Summit is an organization of academic libraries in the Pacific Northwest. Members can borrow materials quickly and easily among libraries.

To make a Summit request, you must be signed in to your LibrarySearch Account. Once you are signed in, you will be able to see the "Place Summit Request (about 5 days)" link (see examples below).

EXAMPLE: Book is not available from UO Libraries.

Request a book from Summit when UO doesn't have it

Beyond UO Libraries: Interlibrary Loan

If you need an item that is not available through the UO Libraries, you can request it through our interlibrary loan service (ILL).


Start your search:

You can search hundreds of libraries from around the world using WorldCat. It is linked directly from the UO Libraries homepage (see below).

WorldCat link

Request an item:

If you find an item you want in WorldCat, look for the green button that says "Request Item Through Interlibrary Loan (about 10 days) (see below).

Interlibrary loan request button in WorldCat

 

Log in to the LibrarySearch system:

On the next screen, you will log in to LibrarySearch to place your request.

Submit your request:

After you log in, the request form may automatically fill in with the item's citation information. If not, fill out the form with as much information as you have about the item, e.g., author, title, publisher, date. When you are done, click "submit."

Check the status of your request:

You will get an email when your item has arrived and is ready for pickup. To check the status of your request, log in to your LibrarySearch account and go to the Requests section.