Catalogs
To find books, DVDs, maps, sound recordings, manuscripts, and much more - everything except articles - use a library catalog.
OskiCat = most UC Berkeley libraries
MELVYL = all UC campus libraries, including all UC Berkeley libraries
What's the difference? more details here
For each item make sure you know the name of the physical library, call number, and whether or not it's checked out, library use only, etc.
Call numbers are on the spine of the book; learn how to read them so you can find what you need on the shelves.
Searching OskiCat
1. a keyword search:
keywords: weight perception
2. find an item that looks interesting; note official subject headings in the full display:
body image in women social aspects
body image in women psychological aspects
advertising psychological aspects
beauty personal social aspects
beauty personal psychological aspects
keep looking items you find when you do these new searches and you'll find other terms:
body weight social aspects
body weight psychological aspects
which might give you ideas - you can add some of these terms to other terms:
surgery plastic social aspects
3. Truncation/wildcards
keywords: advertis* beauty
advertis* cosmetic*
advertis* = advertise, advertising, advertisement, advertisements...
4. Use alternative terms if needed:
keywords: multicultural beauty
try again:
keywords: cultural* beauty
5. use broader terms if needed
keywords: gang* beauty
try again:
keywords: gang* women
6. browse a list of subject headings
subject begins with: beauty
subject begins with: barbie
Also:
- modify your searches or use advanced keyword searches to limit to English, to specific years of publication, to a library location, by format (videos, maps, etc.)
- save items to a list and e-mail the list to yourself
- make sure you know the library location, call number and availability (checked out or not?) of the item(s) you want
- 10 million items and 29 libraries not enough? Try MELVYL, catalog for 10 UC campuses!
Want to see that agin? Watch OskiCat: The Movie
