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McCain Library

How Do I Find a Book?

1. To find a book in McCain Library, start with the library catalog.

SOPHIA is the online catalog. You can search by:

author
title
keywords
author/keywords in title
subject

Use an author search if you are looking for anything by a particular author. Enter the author's last name first, followed by the first name if you know it. You will get a list of all authors that match the terms you entered. Choose the appropriate author from the list.

Use a title search if you know the title of the book.

Use a keywords search to find books on a particular topic. Keywords may include words in title, contents, author, or subject fields.

From each search, you will retrieve a list of books in the library that match your search criteria.

2. Write down the location and call number.

3. Use the stack guide to find where the book is in the libary.
The stack guide is available online, at the circulation desk, or by the elevators in the library. This guide will tell you exactly where the book is located by its call number in library.

4. Check out books at the Circulation Desk with a valid ID.
You will need a valid Agnes Scott ID or Guest Borrower Card to check out books.