How Do I Find a Book at U of I?
The books you are looking for may be located in a variety of locations, including the Ricker Art and Architecture Library as well as the Main Stacks and many other libraries on campus. Remember, books can be requested through the Library Catalog and delivered to any library on campus. This process usually take a couple of days. You'll be notified via email when the book is available.
The best way to find books is to search the Library Catalog. In order to find the books in the library, you need to have the call number and location. If you're logged into your library account, you can text this information through the Library Catalog.
I-Share
If you can't find something in our library catalog, search the I-Share catalog to see if any other college libraries in Illinois have the item available. I-Share is a quick and easy way to borrow books from nearby libraries. Please note: journals/magazines CANNOT be requested through I-Share--you must request these items through Interlibrary Loan.
The I-Share catalog is connected to the Library Catalog and can be searched using Quick Search or Advanced Search. For more help Ask a Librarian.
Catalog Search Fields
If you're having trouble finding results in the Library Catalog, try changing the field in the search bar.
For example, a keyword search will usually bring up a lot more results than a subject search.
Other Tips
- If you only want results that include the entire phrase you are searching for, try putting the phrase in quotes (ex. "architectural theory")
- If you're not sure how a word is spelled or you want to find results that include multiple versions of a word, use an asterisk to replace those letter(s) (ex. librar* to return results for library and libraries)
Boolean Search
Boolean operators are words that can make your search wider or narrower.
- AND will narrow your search by only returning results that include both terms (ex. architecture AND American)
- OR will widen your search by returning results for either term (ex. architecture OR American)
- NOT will narrow your search by eliminating results that include that term (ex. architecture NOT American)