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Books usually provide a good overview of a topic, as well as in-depth information. A book often includes a bibliography or list of additional resources (other books, articles, films, etc) at the end of a chapter or at the end of the book. 

bulletAlways note the date of a book. More current information may be available in periodical articles.
bulletTo find books on your topic in the CSUF Library, use the library's Online Public Access Catalog the Online Catalog. Materials are listed by author, title, subject, call number and words (any word in the title, subject heading or content notes).

Materials are given Library of Congress Subject Headings to help you find them in the catalog. They are classified and shelved by subject using the Library of Congress Classification system. P is the call number range for items in language and literature. Check the brief list of the P section.

Finding Books in the CSUF Library

bulletIf you do not have a title, author or subject, try a general keyword search using terms that best describe your subject. 
bulletBooks in a specific language
bulletBooks do not have a subject heading identifying them as written in a specific language. A search for a particular author, title, geographic area or genre type may retrieve items in the original language or a translation.

e.g.

 Subject: Mexican literature -- Books could be in Spanish, translated into English or originally written in English for an English speaking audience.
Author: Goethe -- Books written by Goethe could be in the original German or translated into another language.
bulletYou can limit a search to books in a particular language. Do your subject, author, title or keyword search and then use the limits button and choose your language. 

e.g.

 Subject: Art History-- use limit button
                   --choose language-Spanish
You will only get books written in Spanish about art history.

Languages with a limit option are: English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, Vietnamese.
bulletBooks about a specific language -- do a subject search
e.g. French language
French language grammar
French philology

Finding Books Outside the CSUF Pollak Library

Try some of these other library catalogs to find additional materials:

Link+
bulletSearch and order books (no periodicals or articles) through CSUF
bullet2-4 day delivery
Melvyl
bulletUC-wide+ catalog
bulletTravel to nearby campuses to read (no borrowing privileges) or order online through CSUF Interlibrary Loan (ILL). 1-2 week delivery.
WorldCat
bulletSearch and order materials through CSUF using the WorldCat ILL form.
bulletHundreds of academic, public and special library catalogs combined. 1-2 week delivery.
CSU Library
bulletConnect to a specific CSU catalog
bulletIf you need it today and are willing to go there - Your CSUF ID can be used at any CSU library to borrow library materials.

Interlibrary Loan

If the library does not have a book you need, try Link+ or ILLiad interlibrary loan services.

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Prepared by Rosemary McGill. An administrative page of the Paulina June & George Pollak Library at California State University, Fullerton. (c) 2002 California State University, Fullerton. All rights reserved.
Created: April 4, 2002. Last Updated: March 10, 2006