Where to search
Start your search on the library's website or through the Search the Library channel in PAWS. Change the tab to "Books" to automatically filter out unwanted items. You can also limit your results by print books and ebooks.
Search by keyword
In the search box, type in your keywords. You can search a single word, a term (use quotation marks to keep your words together), a Boolean search, or use the Advanced Search to easily enter multiple keywords.
In the example search for "kittens AND mittens" there is a mix of print and ebooks. To read the ebook, click on "Online access" and then "Go" next to one of the available databases; to read the print book, take note of which library the book is stored at and write down the call number.
Print books with a location of "Library Annex Storage" or "Storage Temporary" need to be requested and picked up at another library location. Holds can only be placed through the Library Catalogue, so click "Available at Library Annex Storage" and that will take you directly to the catalogue where you can click "Request item for pickup" to place the hold. See How do I request a library book for pickup? for step-by-step instructions.
You can also narrow down your results using the filters on the left.
Search by title
If you have the title of the book, simply search for it in the Books tab. Put the title in quotation marks if there are many books with similar titles. You can also add the author's name to the search using Boolean operators or the Advanced Search.
Search by author
If you know the author's name, simply type it in the Books tab. If multiple authors come up, you should be able to figure out which author you're looking for based on the year range next to their name.
Advanced Search
If you're struggling to find the correct book because of an overwhelming amount of results, try the Advanced Search as it will help build your search for you. You can choose to do a search in "any field", "title", "author/creator", and "subject"; whether that field "contains," "is (exact)," or "starts with" your search, and which Boolean operator to use (AND/OR/NOT). You can choose your material type (books, in this case) to the right of the search boxes.
If you still aren't able to find the book you need in our collection, we can likely get it for you through Interlibrary Loan (ILL). This is a free service available to current USask students, faculty, and staff.