Research Guides: HIST 301: The Historians Craft (Sheriff, Spring 2024): Finding Books

Books at WM Libraries

Use the Library Catalog to find books, ebooks, and chapters in the WM Libraries system
This catalog includes books at the WM Libraries & Colonial Williamsburg lending Library

Tips

Start with keywords.
Limit to books & ebooks.
Pay attention to Subject terms!
- Once you find the subject terms for your topic, you can find every recent book on your topic
Any book in the catalog, even if it's at the Law library or Colonial Williamsburg Foundation library, can be picked up at Swem. Just use the request button in the catalog record.

Books Not as WM

WorldCat This link opens in a new window
- This link opens in a new window
Materials held by thousands of libraries in the US and abroad. Books, websites, computer programs, films, slides, journals, magazines, papers, manuscripts, maps, musical scores, newspapers, sound recordings, videotapes, etc. Coverage: Before 1000BC-present.
WorldCat Discovery This link opens in a new window
- This link opens in a new window
WorldCat Discovery includes access to a wide variety of electronic, licensed, physical and locally digitized materials. Users can discover more than 1.8 billion items in local libraries and around the world with a single search.

Still not finding what you need? Use WorldCat to find & order books WM doesn't own!

WorldCat includes 3 billion items across 500 million records in 483 languages by 100 million authors, and it is the most complete record of books known to exist. Before it was set up in 1998, people had to use the 754-volume National Union Catalog.

WorldCat works the exact same way as our catalog:

Search your keywords or subject and it'll generate a list of books.

It'll tell you if WM owns the book, and if not, who Does own it.

In most cases, WM can order it from the other library & you can pick it up right here in Swem - at no charge!

Interlibrary Loan & Book Purchase Requests

Interlibrary Loan
This *free* service will let you order books we don't own from other libraries. You'll pick them up at the main library circ desk.
Suggestions for Purchase
Let us know any items you'd like us to purchase, either general recommendations or specific titles. We give priority to materials that support courses taught at William & Mary. Fill in as much information as you have in the form.