PASCAL, our statewide academic library consortium, has a Getting Started with Primo guide available to assist students at any South Carolina university in using the shared catalog system.
In the Thrift Library catalog, it usually works best to begin with a simple search. You can then narrow your search from the results page.
You can do a simple search by entering the book title and/or the author into the search box. Note that if you do a simple search you may get many results and need to look carefully for the right item. If you want to find books on your topic, enter 1-3 keywords that describe your topic. (You can also use the Advanced search for more search options.)
Examples: bilingual education; gothic architecture; Greek utopias; cochlear implants.
For more precise searching use the Advanced Search. Click "Advanced Search" to the right of the search box. You can then limit your search terms to specified fields, like Title or Author.
From the search results page you can limit your results to physical books held by Thrift Library. Look to the left side of the page under "Refine my results" and select the following options:
Once you have identified the book you wish to use, note the call number (example: LC3731.F45 2002) and navigate to the stacks (shelves) on the second floor of the library. There is signage there to direct you in finding the items according to its call number.
A call number is like an address for a book. It tells you exactly where to go to find the book on the shelf. The call number is made up of letters, whole numbers, decimals, a publication date, and occasionally a volume and/or copy number. This allows for each book to have a specific location. One book's location cannot be confused with another book's location.
Thrift Library uses the Library of Congress Classification System. Here is an example of a call number from our collection:
LA 212 .R423 2005
LA specifies the subject classification (L for Education and A for History, so History of Education). 212 is read as a whole number. The next line, .R423, is called the Cutter number. This line is read as a decimal (.R423 would come after .R76). 2005 is the publication date.
To learn more about how to read an LC call number, view this tutorial made by the University of Valley Forge.
From the search results page you can limit your results to electronic (digital) books held by Thrift Library. Look to the left side of the page under "Refine my results" and select the following options:
See the Interlibrary Loan (PASCAL Delivers) page for instructions on how to request that a book chapter be scanned and emailed to you as a PDF.
Thrift Library | (864) 231-2050 | reference@andersonuniversity.edu | Anderson University 316 Boulevard Anderson, SC 29621