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Albert S. Cook Library

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Find Ebooks Using Cook OneSearch

This video, "Finding Ebooks Using Cook OneSearch" from the Albert S. Cook Library, discusses how to search for books and limit by format, as well as how to view the ebook if it is available. This video runs 6:31 and was last updated in September, 2020.

Distinguish Between Books at TU and Books at Other Libraries

Here is a book available at Towson University as well as other area libraries. Books available at Towson are shown at the top of the list.

"The Christian Century Reader" available at Towson and other libraries.


Books available at Towson University will say "Towson University" somewhere in the Location column. If it doesn't say Towson University, like the first book in this example, it is not immediately available but can be requested from the owning library.


OneSearch result showing books at Towson and then another library.

Read a Call Number

Call numbers are like addresses for books in the library. They are used to arrange the books on the library’s shelves so every book has a specific location.

Anatomy of a Call Number

Here's a breakdown of the call number TK5105.887 .P63 2008

TK Read the beginning letters in alphabetical order.
5105.887 Read the first number (including decimal points) in numerical order.
.P63 The next piece is a combination of letters and numbers. Read the letter alphabetically and the number as a decimal.
2008 This is the year the book was published, which can be helpful if there are multiple editions of the book.

Use the Library of Congress System

The books in Cook Library are organized using the Library of Congress Call Classification System. Cook's circulating collection begins on the 5th floor with call number range A-K and continues onto the 4th floor with books in the call number range L-Z and our juvenile books collection. Library floor plans and directory information can be found on our Building Directory page.

Library of Congress Classification At-a-Glance

 

5th Floor of Cook Library has Books A-K:

 

A - General Works (Encyclopedias, Directories, Indexes)

B - Philosophy, Psychology, Religion

C - Auxiliary Sciences of History (Archeology, Numismatics, Biography)

D - General & Eastern History

E - American History

F - Western History

G - Geography, Anthropology, Recreation 

H - Social Sciences & Business

J - Political Science

K - Law

What you'll also find:

Maps and Atlases, Oversized books A-K, REF Books A-K, Special Collection (Archives)

 

 

4th Floor of Cook Library has books L-Z:

 

L - Education

M - Music

N - Fine Arts

P - Languages & Literature, Poetry (Graphic Novels in subclass PN6700)

Q - Science 

R - Medicine

S - Agriculture 

T - Technology (railroads, Construction, Electrical Engineering)

U - Military Science

V - Naval Science

Z - Library Science, Bookmaking, Typography

What you'll also find:

Oversized books L-Z, REF Books L-Z, Juvenile and Children's Collection.