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.
Sample Searches in OskiCat
1. finding literary criticism:
keywords: jamaica kincaid criticism and interpretation
2. keyword search with truncation: mexican american* women literature
* = truncation/wildcards (child* = child, childs, childhood, childish, children...)
find an item that looks relevant; look at the official subject headings, click on a heading:
mexican american women authors
american literature mexican american authors history and criticism
american literature women authors history and criticism
mexican american women in literature
feminism in literature
etc.
other features:
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
11 million items and 29 libraries not enough? Try MELVYL, catalog for 10 UC campuses!
