1. FINDING BOOKS FOR YOUR RESEARCH
VICTORIA KNIGHT & DYLAN MARTIN

2. After this workshop, you will be able to:
Navigate and MERLIN, the Classic Catalog.
Access an eBook through
Formulate basic Boolean search strings (AND, OR).
Submit requests through ILL and/or MOBIUS/Prospector.
Locate a physical book in the library using a call number.
Be familiar with some additional sources online to locate books.

3. What is your experience with finding books at the library?

4. Find a Book Library Guide
libraryguides.missouri.edu/ISW17
Using this guide, you can follow along during the session.
After this session, use the guide as a resource.

5. CAN I FIND A BOOK BY BROWSING THE STACKS?
Maybe if you’re lucky—Ellis is a very large library.
Books are classified by subject, not Fiction/Nonfiction.
MU Libraries has 3,077,405 books.
Save yourself time finding print and eBooks by searching online using MERLIN Classic Catalog, or other online resources!

6. GETTING STARTED: THE LIBRARY HOMEPAGE
library.missouri.edu/
Finding materials—it’s all in the middle.
Methods of Searching and Finding Books on the Library Website: MU
MERLIN Classic Catalog

7. MU
MU searches all the materials MU Libraries has—Like a Google search for the library!
Ability to limit to eBooks using the left sidebar.
Some eBooks require sign in, to be viewed in browser, or downloaded.
Accessing eBooks held by MU is always free.
If you’re having trouble, get help from librarians through chat, FAQs, phone, or or go to the reference desk.

8. SEARCH STRATEGIES
To find books in the catalog or in databases, it is best to form a search strategy. There are three main steps to this process.
Form a research question.
Identify keywords and similar terms.
Combine keywords with Boolean Operators to find what you need.

9. SEARCH STRATEGIES First, form a research question.
Example: What is the effect of mobile technology on education?
Keywords: mobile, technology, education
Synonyms: smartphone, tablet, instruction, pedagogy

10. SEARCH STRATEGIES Boolean Operator
AND – only results containing both search words.
Example: smartphone AND attention span
OR – results containing either smartphone or telephone.
Example: smartphone OR telephone

11. SEARCH STRATEGIES Example: Keywords: mobile, technology, education
Synonyms: smartphone, tablet, wearable, instruction, pedagogy
Boolean operators: AND OR
Search strategy: (wearable OR mobile) AND technology AND ("high school" AND pedagogy)

12. LET’S ACCESS AN eBook!
Using this example search string, let’s try to find an eBook in MU.
Click on MU tab in the LibGuide.
Click the link to go to MU.

13. LET’S ACCESS AN eBook!
Enter the search: (wearable OR mobile) AND technology AND ("high school" AND pedagogy)
On the left side under Format click eBooks.

14. MERLIN CLASSIC CATALOG
Good place to start for books in campus libraries.
Also searches all library resources in the MERLIN system (UMKC, UMSL, MO S&T, & MU).
Can be searched by keyword, title, author, subject, ISBN, and more!
Can be limited by formats, languages, and more.

15. MERLIN CLASSIC CATALOG
Known title searching: Example: Harry Potter

16. MERLIN CLASSIC CATALOG
Let’s attempt to form a simple search.
Choose 1-2 keywords from each column on the handout.
Use Boolean terms to connect your keywords.
How many results did you get?
Do they appear to be relevant?

17. MERLIN CLASSIC CATALOG
Searching for your research:
Let’s search using our strategy. (tablet OR smartphone OR wearable) and (Effects) and (education OR pedagogy)
Now we’ve found the record. How do we read this?
What looks important?
Location, Call Number, and Status

18. CLASSIC CATALOG RECORD

19. LOCATION, CALL NUMBER, & STATUS
After you search and find a book in the catalog, you need three pieces of information to locate your material.
Location: Which library the book is located.
Call number: Where the book is exactly on the shelves.
Status: Whether the book is available, checked out, or missing.

20. LOCATION

21. ANATOMY OF A CALL NUMBER

22. CIRCULATION STATUS CODES

23. WHAT TO DO WHEN THE BOOK ISN’T IN MERLIN
Request it!
Expand your search to MOBIUS.
Find the book you want.
Click request.
Log in using Pawprint and password.
Set the pick up location to your desired location.
Still can’t find it?

24. WHAT TO DO WHEN THE BOOK ISN’T IN MOBIUS
Request it through Prospector.
Expand your search to Prospector.
Find the book you want.
Click request.
Log in using Pawprint and password.
Set the pick up location to your desired location.
Your request will be processed and your book should arrive in business days.
You will receive an when your material arrives.

25. STILL CAN’T FIND A BOOK? Request it through Interlibrary Loan (ILL).
Go to ILL webpage.
Login with pawprint and password.
Submit your request with all details.
Your request will be processed and your book should arrive in 3-7 business days.
You will receive an when your material arrives.
Did we mention this is FREE?

26. OTHER FREE ONLINE RESOURCES
When a book isn’t available and you don’t have the time to wait for a request, these free online resources are good places to look.
Daniel Boone Regional Library - dbrl.org/
Google Books - books.google.com/
Project Gutenberg -
Archive.org/

27. QUESTIONS/DISCUSSION

28. THANKS FOR ATTENDING! To get help in the future,
Ellis Library Reference Desk
Telephone: (573)
Please consider completing our survey on the Guide on your screen.

29. FIND A REAL BOOK (OPTIONAL)
We will run a search and find an book written in Chinese. Using the call number, we will go find that book.

30. FINDING BOOKS FOR YOUR RESEARCH
VICTORIA KNIGHT & DYLAN MARTIN