Finding Books & Journals
Library catalogs are used for two purposes. First, if you know exactly what you are looking for – an exact title or author – you can use the online catalog to locate your material. This works for book titles and journal titles. Second, you can use library catalogs to discover material that might be helpful to you by doing subject and keyword searching.
Look here to find books, DVDs, magazines or journals containing articles that you need, and many other resources. In addition to the 15 million volumes we have on this campus, you can connect to 90 other libraries in Illinois and request that books be sent to you. When you find something you want in the catalog, write down the following:
- Location – in which library the item is kept (or libraries, if we have multiple copies)
- Call Number – this number is essential for finding the item on the shelf
- Status – is it available for you to check out?
There are other places to verify citations for books and request books and articles you cannot find elsewhere. Ordering books and journals via interlibrary loan is free and generally fairly quick.
- WorldCatUse WorldCat to search for books all over the world. Once you find the book you want, you can request it using Interlibrary Loan.
- Interlibrary LoanIf an item is not available in the UIUC catalog or through I-Share, a copy can be requested through Interlibrary Loan. Physical materials generally take 2-3 weeks to arrive, and digital copies take an average of 3 days. Login to Interlibrary Loan using your NetID and password, then fill out as much of the request form as possible. You will be notified by email when your material is available. Physical materials can be picked up at the Central Circulation Desk on the second floor of the Main Library, and instructions on how to access electronic materials will be sent to your email.
Helpful Print Resources
Digest of Education Statistics by ISBN: 9781641433891The Digest of Education Statistics provides a compilation of statistical information covering the broad field of education from prekindergarten through graduate school. It includes a selection of data from many sources and draws especially on the results and activities carried out by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).
The online Digest dates from 1990 to the present. Print copies are available in the Main Stacks and Oak Street from 1976 to 2017.
Encyclopedia of Education by Call Number: Q. 370.3 En193 2003 SSHEL REF NON-CIRC and OnlineISBN: 002865594XPublication Date: 2002-11-14This fully-revised second edition offers a complete view of the institutions, people, processes, roles and philosophies found in educational practice in the United States and throughout the world. Features include 140 biographies of influential educators; profiles of historic colleges and universities; profiles of organizations active in the field; and an appendix of full-text primary source documents including education-related legislation, international treaties and testing methods.
The Greenwood Dictionary of Education by Call Number: 370.3 G8562011 SSHEL REF NON-CIRC and OnlineISBN: 9780313379307Publication Date: 2011-07-19A comprehensive dictionary for a variety of subjects within education. It provides more than 3,000 terms, acronyms, and initialisms that are in contemporary use and understanding. The dictionary includes a preface, the dictionary itself, and a bibliography for the definitions.
Social Sciences, Health, and Education Library
Main Library
1408 W. Gregory Dr.
Urbana, IL 61801