The library catalog's default search setting is set to keyword.
Begin by identifying the key words in the question or the subject you wish to find materials for. Here is an example:
I am looking for books relating to multiculturalism and government policy in Canada
Begin by identifying important words in the question.
Multiculturalism AND Government policy AND Canada
Go to the library catalog to perform the keyword search. Remember to think about different terms (synonyms) which may prove to be more effective during the search process. Government policy, for instance may be changed to, or searched in conjunction with related keywords such as law and legislation or legal status.
Narrow the number of results retrieved by adding a name of a province or region into the mix, particularly if your research is focused on a specific geographical region.
For example: Quebec
If you know the call number of the book you are looking for, you can use it to find similar materials. Searching this way allows you to go directly to a book's bibliographic record, while gaining the ability to search the shelves virtually from the comfort of your own desk or home.
Every item in the library has been assigned a call number. These numbers tell us the subject area of the material, the location of the item in the library, and the physical order of the books on the shelf. It is these numbers that allow you to see all of the titles of the books located next to the searched item on the shelf.
Give it a try!
Go to the library catalogue and search by the call number FC3217.1 A1 B69 2010
As you can see, this call number is associated with the text Louis Riel and Gabriel Dumont.
To find books and other materials about Canadian History, you may want to browse these subject areas in the Library stacks.
