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Getting Started at the Library

Books

Searching for Books

Search for books at the TWU Libraries by using TWUniversal, which searches for books, articles, media and more.

1) Start by typing 1-3 search words or the title of the book you're looking for.

2) When you search by pressing ENTER or clicking the search button (magnifying glass), your search results will include books, articles, media and more. To refine your results to what you need, use the filter for Content Type and select "Book Chapters," "Books," "Electronic Books" or whatever best matches what you need.

3) Once you've found a book or e-book you want to access, follow the instructions below:

Accessing Electronic Books

When searching for an e-book in TWUniversal, access the book using the following steps:

1) In your TWUniversal search results, click the title of the book you want to access.

    Screenshot of an e-book search result in TWUniversal. A blue arrow points at the book title, which is at the top of the search result.

2) After clicking the book title, scroll down the page to the "View It" section. After the words "Full text" is the name of a database where you can access the book. Click the database name.

    Screenshot of the "View It" section of an e-book in TWUniversal. Beneath the words "View It" and "Sign-in for more options" are the words "Full text" and then the database title "Ebook Central Academic Complete" which is hyperlinked. An arrow points to the database title.

3) ln most cases, there is no need to download an e-book. Instead, you can click "Read Online" any time you need to access the book.

    

Locating Print Books

When using TWUniversal to search for print books, do the following to find the book:

1) After finding a print book in TWUniversal, gather the following information:

  • Is the book available or is it checked out (unavailable)?
  • Where is the book located? Which campus, floor and collection?
  • What is the book's call number? The call number is how you will find the book on the shelf. Write this number down or take a photo of it. An example of a call number is TX393 .G58 2011.

    Screenshot of a search result in TWUniversal. Beneath the book title, author and publication date is the following information, which is highlighted in a box: "Available at Denton - Blagg-Huey Library General Collection - 3rd Floor (TX393 .G58 2011)"

2) Go to the floor where the book is located. The shelves of books are arranged alphabetically. If your call number is TX393 .G58 2011, start by finding the T section.

3) Once you've found the T section, find the TX section. This is alphabetical. The sections are TA, TB, TC and so on until you find TX.

4) After you've found the TX section, focus on the number after that. If your call number is TX393 .G58 2011, and you've found the TX's, look for TX393 next. 

5) Once you've found the TX393 books, focus on the next letter in the call number. If your call number is TX393 .G58 2011, you need to find TX393 .G next. This is alphabetical again.

6) Once you've found the books that start with TX393 .G, focus on the next numbers in the call number. You now need to find TX393 .G58.

  • Because this number comes after a period, treat it like a decimal number. For some people, it may be easiest to think of these numbers like a percentage. So 0.58 is the same as 58%. So 58% (.58) comes before 70% (.7) but after 37.2% (.372). On the shelf, the books would be in the following order: .G372 -- .G58 -- .G7.

7) Once you find the books that start with TX393 .G58, you've probably already found your book! The final part of the call number, 2011, is the year it was published. This number only matters if you need a particular version of the book or are searching for the newest copy of the book.

Borrowing a Print Book

To borrow a print book, take the book and your TWU ID card to the desk at the entrance of the library and let a staff member know you'd like to borrow the book. Keep in mind that some books or book collections cannot be checked out and may only be used in the library.

Screenshot of a search result in TWUniversal. An arrow points to the words "No Checkout" in the availability and location information for the book. Full text: "Available at Denton - Blagg-Huey Library Woman's Collection - Cookbook (No Checkout) - 1st Floor"