Education: Books

1. Go to the Library Homepage.
2. If you are looking for a specific book, search Compass by title or author.
3. When searching a topic, start with a keyword search. When you find some relevant titles, click on the title and scroll down the page and look for the subject(s) to focus your search or find additional terms for searching.
4. To locate books within the Library, note the call number and click on the "Locate" next to the call number to find the floor of that call number range.
5. When you find your book, browse the surrounding shelves for other books on the same topic.
6. If you do not find any books through your original search, try MaineCat  for more titles.
7. Always feel welcome to consult the reference librarian with any questions.

When a book is not in Bowdoin's Collection, search MaineCat to see if either of those networks has the book you want. If either one has your book, you can create your own interlibrary loan by clicking "request this item."

When a book or journal article is not available at CBBcat or MaineCat, the next option is traditional Interlibrary Loan. In this system, you have access to books and journals from academic libraries across the U.S. and in some foreign countries.

Before requesting an item, you must register with the system and set up a user name and password. You then fill out a form with information identifying your book or article. (You do not need to know which library has the item you want; the ILL department finds a holding library.) Articles are usually sent electronically, while books travel to Bowdoin in the U.S. mail, usually within 5-10 working days.