Library Guides: Summer Bridge: Books

UW Libraries Search

Search Tips

When searching for books, you can not enter your question or a phrase. You must identify the key words in your question and enter them into the search box.

Example: Why did the United States get involved in the Vietnam War
(the key words are in bold)
After identifying the keywords, you must combine them in the search box with the word and

Example: United States and Vietnam War

Getting your Book

All books at UW Tacoma Library are located within the Tioga Library Building.

To retrieve the book, find the call number and write it down.

Call numbers beginning with A-G are located on the first floor of the Tioga Library Building. (See map below)
H-Z are located on the second floor of the Tioga Library Building. (See map below)

1. Type your title or topic into UW Libraries Search.

2. If UW Tacoma Library does not own the book, click Availability & Request Options and choose the request options provided.

3. You will receive an email to your UW account when the items is ready to be picked-up at the Service Desk (library circulation) in the Tioga Library Building.

Holds for UW materials can take 3-5 days to process and will remain available for 7 days.

NOTE: Request options are different depending on the location of the resource and resource type.

Learn More

1. Click use the libraries and choose Interlibrary Loan & Document Delivery Service from the dropdown menu on the UW Libraries home page.

2. Click Interlibrary Loan, Log in > W and enter your NetId and password.

3. Click a New Request option based on the type of resource you need.

Interlibrary Loan, New Requests

NOTE: To request a journal article, click on Request a Scan.

4. Fill in all required fields for your request.

5. Click Submit Request.

NOTE: You will receive an email with a link to your requested materials when they are available.

Learn More

1. Type your title or topic into UW Libraries Search.

2. Refine results to eBooks and show only, Available Online.
UW Libraries Search (beta), Show only

3. Click Access Options for a title of your choosing and select a database to view the ebook online.
UW Libraries Search Results, Access Options

Learn More

e-Book Collections

Collections of Encyclopedias

Gale Virtual Reference
Full-text encyclopedias on many subjects

Oxford Reference Online This link opens in a new window
- This link opens in a new window
Dictionaries, encyclopedias, and subject reference works.

Library of Congress Call Numbers

The UW Libraries, like many university libraries, uses the Library of Congress Call Number classification system.

How to Read a Library of Congress Call Number

Call Number: DS559.46 .H35 1986

The first two lines describe the subject of the book. DS559.45 = Vietnamese Conflict

The third line often represents the author's last name. H = Hallin

The last line represents the date of publication.

Tips for Finding Books on the Shelf

Read call numbers line by line.

LB
Read the first line in alphabetical order:
A, B, BF, C, D... L, LA, LB, LC, M, ML...

2395
Read the second line as a whole number:
1, 2, 3, 45, 100, 101, 1000, 2000, 2430...

.C65
The third line is a combination of a letter and numbers. Read the letter alphabetically. Read the number as a decimal, eg: .C65 = .65 .C724 = .724

Some call numbers have more than one combination letter-number line.

1991
The last line is the year the book was published. Read in chronological order:
1985, 1991, 1992...