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CCS 104: Zen Insights and Oversights

Strategies for Finding Books

  1. Search Primo for specific titles suggested in subject encyclopedia entries.
  2. Identify the Library of Congress Subject Headings for that book to identify more books on the topic.
  3. If required for your assignment, make sure that the book is scholarly.  (Look at publisher, research the expertise of the author, note whether the book has extensive notes and a bibliography.)
  4. Tip:  When you search for a title, see if any book reviews also show up in the results.  Looking at book reviews written by scholars can be a great way to gauge the usefulness or relevance of the book for your topic.

Book locations

When you find a title that interests you, click to see the full record in Primo, and make sure you're signed in to Primo!

  • If the book is available as an ebook, the link to the ebook will be provided in the record.  Most ebooks allow unlimited simultaneous users, but a handful only allow one or three simultaneous users.  The Primo record will provide that information.  
  • If the book is available in print format in Collins Library, make note of the call number.  You have two options for obtaining the book.  You can request "hold for Tacoma pickup" and library staff will pull the book, send you email when it's ready, and then you can come to the library service desk on the first floor to check it out.  Or you can go to the stacks to find the book yourself -- the library maps show which call number ranges are on which floors.  
  • If the book is not available in Collins library (or has been checked out), you can request it from a SUMMIT library.  Books requested from SUMMIT take 3-5 business days to arrive, and you'll receive an email letting you know when you can come to the library service desk to check it out.

Note:  For print books, the due dates for students are as follows:

Collins Library books:  the last day of the semester

SUMMIT books:  twelve weeks with one six-week renewal