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Classics: Finding Books

A research guide to finding books, articles, and other resources in the Classics

Search Strategies

  • If you know the book you are looking for, use the UMW catalog.  Use Advanced Search to combine author and title.
  • Use quotation marks to search for a phrase, as in "Ancient Greece" or "Roman Britain".
  • Use the options under "Refine My Search" to narrow your results.
  • The Virtual Shelf Browse will allow you to see what books are shelved near the one you've found.  You can browse the shelves without coming to the libray!
  • Sign into the system to request that a book be held for you, or to request a scan of parts of it. 

Locating books on the shelves

When you find a physical book in Quest, write down its call number, and then go to the shelves.

To use call numbers, read them from the top down.

A label on the spine of a book, displaying the call number PR 8875 .P46 1999
 

For example, here's how you'd find this book:

  • First, follow the alphabet to the PR section of the library, which is part of the larger P section.
  • Next, within the PR section, look in numerical order for 8875.
  • Next, within the books numbered 8875, look in alphabetical and numerical order for .P46.
  • (1999 is the year the book was published.)

Interlibrary Loan (ILL)

If you find an item that belongs to another library system, you may request it through Interlibrary loan (ILL).

To place an interlibrary loan request, you will need to create a free Simpson Library ILL Account.

Search for an item in libraries near you:
WorldCat.org >>

Cooperative Borrowing Program