The URI Libraries have over 1.5 million books to help you get started on researching a variety of topics! They're organized by subject to help you find information easily. Books are an excellent source of information, including:

• general to in-depth coverage of a topic
• historical to current information

To find books, you will need to use the library catalog, URI Libraries Search, located on the URI Library Home Page.

If you need help using or navigating the catalog, please contact the Research Help Desk.

If you need help with logging in to your library account, please contact the Circulation Desk at 401-874-2672.

When looking for books, head to the library home page, and locate the search box.

A Keyword search is a great way to find books if you do not know the Author or Title. Type your Keyword/s in the search box, and click Search.

A list of the records matching your search will be listed!

A Keyword search is similar to using a search engine on the Internet. It is also a great way to combine ideas. Usually this type of search will result in a large amount of sources (some may not be relevant to your topic), but it can be a great way to get started.

If you get many results in your list, you can use the links on the right side of the page to narrow your results.

Searching for a specific item in the catalog, such as when you have an author or title, can best be done by using the Advanced Search in the URI Libraries Search.

You can use the link below the search box to connect to the Advanced Search, or use the link below.

Searching by Author

If you know the author's name and the correct spelling, use the pull-down menu to the left of the search blank scroll to Author.

Type in the author's name into the search box on the right and then hit the Search button.

A list of records matching your search will be listed.

Searching by Title

Following the same steps as outlined above for an Author search, scroll down to the Title option. Type the Title in the search box, and then click the Search button.

Looking at your results, click on the Title of any source that interests you. This will bring you to the item's full record, which includes the complete citation for the book (author, title, publication location, publisher, and year).

The full record will tell you:

• if the item is online, available, or checked out

• the call number (the first part of the notation is alphabetical and the second part is numerical)

The call number will help you locate the item in the library. Note the call number, title, and author--then search for the location. in the URI Carothers Library, maps are located at the entrance to each stairway and you may ask a librarian at the Research Help Desk for assistance.

As the URI Libraries Search services multiple URI campuses, you will need to find the physical location; for example:

• If it is at the URI Robert L. Carothers Library in Kingston, it will be listed as Carothers

• If it is at the URI Pell Marine Science Library in Narragansett, it will be listed as PELL

A specific location within the library such as Reference, Serial Stacks, etc. may be listed as well.

Also, the record will have additional helpful information:

• AVAILABLE means it can be checked out of the library

• Non Circulating means it needs to be used in the library and cannot be checked out

• DUE means it is already checked out of the library (usually with the due date listed)