Northeastern State University Libraries

This guide is designed to help students identify libraries in Oklahoma that own a book.

Description

WorldCat is a comprehensive catalog of the libraries of the world, including libraries found in Oklahoma. If you are interested in finding books specifically owned by the NSU Libraries, however, it is best not to use WorldCat. Instead, use the NSU Libraries online library catalog.

Use and Purpose

WorldCat is useful for identifying material not owned by the NSU Libraries. As a result, it can be an extremely valuable tool for discovering resources beyond what the NSU Libraries collection can provide.

Below are a series of screen captures that illustrate how to use WorldCat to find books owned by other Oklahoma libraries.

1. Start at the NSU Libraries home page. Click on Search in more databases:

2. Scroll down the next page and click on the WorldCat (FirstSearch) link:

3. Next, type the title or author of the book into the appropriate search box. The below example is for a book titled America in 1857:

4. The next screen shows that 1,753 libraries in the world own this book. In this case, as indicated by the "Northeastern State Univ" logo, the NSU Libraries also own the book. Click on the link named Libraries Worldwide:

5. The next screen shows all of the libraries in Oklahoma that own this book:

When the NSU Libraries Does Not Own the Needed Book

If the NSU Libraries system does not own a book that you need, it is likely that Interlibrary Loan will be able to obtain a copy for you. To learn about interlibrary loan policies and procedures, and for information on how to utilize this service, please contact the Interlibrary Loan office or the subject librarian listed below. One key to using interlibrary loan services successfully is to start your research early so that interlibrary loan requests can arrive in time. On average, it takes about ten business days to obtain material through interlibrary loan.

• Contact the Subject Librarian for Social Sciences - cheatham@nsuok.edu
  
• Gary Cheatham's Home Page