Frequently Asked Questions about Searching the Libraries’ Collections
by Michelle Mitchell, Reference and Instruction Librarian and Alexander Schulz, IL Scholar
What if I can’t find any useful resources for my assignment/project?
When searching for articles and books on your chosen topic in Libraries Search, remember to use “keywords” or search terms that explain your topic through a word or phrase. This is different from everyday Google searching or AI prompting, when we type in full questions or requests for the search engine / AI tool to understand. Library database searches do not work in the same way -- our search tools only want words or phrases that capture the main points of your topic or thesis statement.
For example, let's say your thesis statement is: “College campuses benefit from collaborating with community therapy programs, such as therapy dogs, to help reduce stress and anxiety levels in college students during final exams.” It is not recommended that you paste your whole thesis statement into Libraries Search or another library database to find results related to your topic; instead, you will want to break the thesis statement down into “keywords” or search terms.
- Some search terms we can use for the above thesis statement are college; university; college students; therapy dogs; finals; stress; anxiety, etc. You may not want to use all those keywords at the same time, but you could start with a few to see what results are shown, such as: college students AND therapy dogs AND anxiety.
You also want to be specific about what types of resources you are looking for, since Libraries Search and subject-specific databases have filters for you to limit what results are shown to you. You can choose “Scholarly & Peer Reviewed” to only see those types of resources (typically articles), “Book / eBooks,” “Government Documents,” “Videos,” etc.
Choose sources that are relevant to your topic and seem helpful for your research needs. If you need additional help finding sources for your research assignment, please visit the SU Libraries’ Online Tutorials and Videos guide or email libref@syr.edu.
How do I access an “Offsite” book or something that’s supposed to be in Carnegie Library?
Many of the Libraries’ books are stored in our offsite Facility but are accessible to Syracuse University students, staff and faculty. If you come across a title that says “Available at Carnegie Library Offsite” or “Available at Offsite,” this means the title is available by placing a request for our staff to retrieve and deliver it to your desired location (among the options listed in the request form), typically by the following business day.
- When you are looking at a book’s full record, there will be a “Get It” section with a yellow banner that asks you to sign in for request options. Sign in with your Syracuse University account username and password, and the page will reload with request options. You will select “Book, Item, or Volume.” If you are affiliated with the College of Law, you will select “College of Law Request Here."
- Once you select “Book, Item, or Volume,” the page will redirect you to the Request, Delivery, and Interlibrary Loan (ILL) portal. Sign in with your Syracuse University account username and password. Once signed in, the portal will load an automatically filled out form for you. Complete the few required fields on your own. Click “Submit” when you are finished filling out the form, and you will be contacted via email when the book is ready for pick up.
- If you have not used this service before, you will be prompted to fill out your contact information to complete your account. Once your account is created, we recommend you go back to the book’s full record page and re-click on the “Book, Item, or Volume” link, so the portal will load an automatically filled out form for you. You will need to fill out a few required fields. Click “Submit” when you are finished, and you will be contacted via email when the book is ready for pick up.
- If you’re having trouble logging into the portal, contact our circulation department (circhelp@syr.edu or 315.443.5727).
How do I request a physical book?
To request a physical book in the Libraries, go to the book’s full record page and the “Get It” section with a yellow banner. Sign in for request options with your Syracuse University account username and password. The page will reload with request options. Select “Book, Item, or Volume.” If you are affiliated with the College of Law select “College of Law Request Here."
- Once you select “Book, Item, or Volume,” the page will redirect you to the Request, Delivery, and Interlibrary Loan (ILL) portal. Sign in with your Syracuse University account username and password. Once signed in, the portal will load an automatically filled out form for you. Complete a few required fields on your own. Click “Submit” when you are finished, and you will be contacted via email when the book is ready for pick up.
- If you have not used this service before, you will be prompted to fill out your contact information to complete your account. Once your account is created, we recommend you go back to the book’s full record page and re-click on the “Book, Item, or Volume” link so the portal will load an automatically filled out form. You will need to fill out a few required fields. Click “Submit” when you are finished, and you will be contacted via email when the book is ready for pick up.
- You can also locate the book in the stacks yourself by using the “Map It” feature on the book’s record, next to its availability status and call number (a combination of letters and numbers). This will show you the approximate location of the book on the floor that it is kept on. The “Map It” feature also shows the floor number and shelving row number to help locate the book.
Is there any way for me to get a book I need if it says, “checked out”?
You may fill out the Request, Deliver, and Interlibrary Loan (ILL) form to request the item. When the book or item is returned it can be lent to you. Alternatively, if the book is not due back soon, the Libraries can reach out to affiliate libraries we may be able to borrow the book from for you at no cost to you.
Can I get an eBook or PDF version of a book the Libraries physically owns?
Some books are in our collection both physically and digitally. When viewing a book in Libraries Search, look out for if items with “Online Availability.” You can also refine your search on the left side under “Show Only” then “Available Online.”
If we do not own a digital copy of an item we can request one from another library for you via an Interlibrary Loan request.
What does it mean when something is peer-reviewed? How do I know if something is peer-reviewed?
Peer-reviewed is when an article or piece of research has been looked over by scholars (or experts in the field) other than the author. These scholars ensure that the research is accurate and any studies involving humans or animals were performed ethically. In Libraries Search, using the filters on the left-hand side of the search system, you can filter peer-reviewed materials. Additionally, things that are peer-reviewed are marked with a purple peer-reviewed symbol (shown below) in Libraries Search.
How do I download an article? Can I download eBooks?
Once you find an article through Libraries Search or a subject specific database, you will need to access the full text of the article to read the full contents.
If you are accessing an article through Libraries Search and we have digital access to it, you can get to the article through the “Get It Online” link. If there are multiple links, you can click on any to get the article (they are provided through multiple Libraries’ subscriptions). Look for a button that says “View PDF” or “View Full Text.” This will open a new tab on your internet browser for you to view the article. You can then save the article on your computer or print it out.
Note that eBooks, databases and publishers may limit how many pages you can download at one time; you may only be able to download certain chapters.
Can I get access to Washington Post articles? What about New York Times?
Yes, the Libraries has subscriptions to digital editions of The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post and The Atlantic that provide access for all currently affiliated Syracuse University students, faculty and staff. You can find specific directions on how to activate your subscriptions through the Newspaper Databases guide.
Note that The New York Times subscription does not include access to NYT games or The Athletic.
What do I do if the Libraries does not have a book I really need / want?
If the library doesn’t have an item you need or want, fill out an interlibrary loan request. Interlibrary loan allows Syracuse University Libraries to borrow materials from other libraries for you to use. Additionally, you can fill out our Suggest a Title form, which sends a request to our Collections Department to consider purchasing the materials to add to our collections.