Why Use Books?
There's a lot of benefits to finding and using a book as a resource!
Benefits of books:
MSU has lots of books! Check out the tutorials and info below for how to find books at the library.
Find a Book at MSU
Learn how to find books via Minnesota State Mankato’s Library Services. These videos will help you to:
After selecting ...
Click the icon on the bottom of either video to turn on closed captioning.
Click the icon to translate the captioned text into different languages.
It's actually not that hard! Just follow the steps below.
1. Use the MavScholar Book Search (see below) to search for the book.
2. Find a title.
If it is a print book:
3. Note the collection & call number
click on the envelope icon to email a link of the book to yourself
4. In the library, locate the collection on a map and use the call number to find the item on the shelf.
If it is an e-book:
3. If the item is available electronically, click the title to be directed to the online text, or look for a button marked Full Text Online.
Detailed instructions are listed below.
Understanding Search Results
There's a lot of info to keep track of when you look for a book. Keep an eye out for the information below.
When you click on a book, you'll be taken to the Detailed Record page. This page displays information about the contents, location, and availability of the book. You'll also find some neat tools to make your research quicker, like our Citation Generator and Email features.
How do you know where to go in the library?
Next to the call number of the book listed, it will tell you what "collection" the book is in. In the library, each collection is in a specific spot. Go to that collection to find your book.
Use the table below to help you. Use the links to view the library map.
|General Collection||2nd and 3rd floor|
Gen Coll. starting with A-E
Gen Coll. starting with F-PN
Gen Coll. starting with Q-Z
|Government Documents||1st floor|
|Juvenile Fiction, Nonfiction||lower level--east|
|Lass Center for Minnesota Studies||2nd floor--center|
|Maps & Atlas||1st floor--east|
|New Books||1st floor|
How do you find the book in the Library?
Remember that short code of numbers and letters you found during your search results earlier? That's the book's call number, and now you're going to use it! After you figure out which floor in the library you need to go to, the information below will help you figure out where your book is on the shelf.
What's a Call Number?
Libraries use a classification system of letters and/or numbers ( also known as the call numbers) to arrange the books on the shelf. The call numbers make sure that books on the same topic are shelved together. This means that when you go find your book on the shelf, there's probably a bunch of books near it on the same topic. We call this "serendipitous browsing:" Libraries in the United States generally use the Library of Congress Classification System or the Dewey Decimal Classification System to organize their books. Most academic libraries, like us here at MSU, use the Library of Congress Classification System (LC)
How to Read a Call Number
Book title: Uncensored War: The Media and Vietnam
Author: Daniel C. Hallin
Call Number: DS559.46 .H35 1986
Lines 1 & 2: The first two lines describe the subject of the book.
In this case, DS 559.45 = Vietnamese Conflict
Line 3: The third line usually represents the author's last name. In this case
H = Hallin
Last line: The last line represents the date of publication. Older items may not include the year
Tips for Finding Books on the Shelf
Read call numbers line by line.
Here's a shelf of books with the call numbers and their order explained.
Content for this box provided by the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia. The original content can be found through the Online Library Learning Center.
Once you find your book:
Your MavCard is your library card! Take the books and your MavCard to the circulation desk by the entrance.
The following table lists how long you can check out items.
|Library Item||Loan Period||Can it be renewed?|
|Books (General Collection)||21 days (undergrad)
1 semester (grad)
|Yes (use My Library Account to renew)|
|Audiobooks||21 days (undergrad)
1 semester (grad)
|Digital Cameras||7 days||No|
|Laptop Computers||7 days||No|
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.