Did You Know about Request This Title?
If you find a book you can borrow that's not in the ARS, you no longer have to find the book in the stacks yourself. Simply click on the "Request This Title" button on the right of the screen, put your name in, and one of our student assistants will retrieve the book for you, and it will be waiting on the shelves near the Library Help Desk alphabetically by your last name. Ask any assistant at the Library Help Desk to check it out, or use our self-checkout machine to borrow it yourself.
Books
Engineering Books : Circulating Books & Reference Books
The Library uses the Library of Congress Classification system. The general classifications used in engineering are:
Q General Science
QA Mathematics/Computer Science
T General Technology
TA Civil engineering/Engineering Management
TD Environmental Technology
TE Highway engineering
TF Railroad engineering
TG Bridge construction
TH Building construction
TJ Mechanical engineering/Machinery
TK Electrical engineering/Electronics/Nuclear engineering
TL Motor vehicles/Aeronautics/Astronautics
TS Manufacturing
OSCAR is the library's electronic catalog. You can search for books and other materials (But not specific articles) by title, author, subject and keywords. For print copy items on reserve, click on Course Reserves on the library homepage.
How to Search for Circulating Books in the Main Stacks or ARS (limiting the results to items you can borrow):
Go to the OSCAR Advanced Search page.
Type in your search terms in the boxes provided. In the box called "Optional Search Limits/Sorts," under location--select University Library Main Stacks. Do your search.
Borrowing Books
Books that can be checked out are located on the shelves or in the automated retrieval system (ARS). If the catalog record indicates "Request from the ARS" as the item location, click on it, enter your name, and pick up your item at the Circulation Desk. If there is no "Request from the ARS" indication, then the item is on the shelf by call number.
Reference Books
Encyclopedias, dictionaries, handbooks , guides, etc. can be found on the lower level reference shelves. These reference tools and others help define terminology and provide a context for the subject area. Background reading can help you choose a specific topic to pursue for your research. Reference materials are for library use only and cannot be checked out.
To search Reference Books only, follow the "How to Search..." directions above, and instead of University Main Stacks, select "University Library Reference Collection."
There is also a collection of searchable electronic reference books in the ENGnetBASE database and the BiomedicalSCIENCEnetBASE.
Not at the SCU Library?
Try LINK+. A service which allows students, faculty and staff to borrow books from a group of other university, college and public libraries. The books will be available for pickup at the the Library Circulation Desk usually within 3 days. After any search in OSCAR, you may re-do the search in LINK+ by clicking on the Search LINK+ button at the top of the screen.
We can obtain photocopies of articles and borrow books not available through LINK+ for you through our Interlibrary Loan service. Just follow the directions on OSCAR for an INTERLIBRARY LOAN. Items such as journal articles can be delivered to your SCU e-mail inbox. Other materials such as books that must come through the mail may take 3-10 working days.
