Here are some simple search tips for finding relevant articles and books:
Use AND/OR/NOT to combine/exclude words or phrases (this is called Boolean Searching):
Example Search Phrases:
Basketball AND football = articles that have both basketball and football as topics together.
Basketball OR football = articles that have either basketball or football (or both) as topics.
Basketball NOT football = articles that are about basketball and that exclude football (be careful, this can exclude a lot of useful resources since it will exclude articles that have both basketball and football together).
Phrase searching:
Put quotation marks around words you want to search as a phrase. Not generally used for single words.
Example Search Phrases:
"North Carolina"
"Western Carolina University"
"confirmation bias"
There are several ways to look for a book in the Library Catalog. You can look for a book by Title, e.g., Cyberbullying by Lauri Scherer. By Author, e.g., Scherer Lauri (always type the last name first).
You can also search by Keyword (or Topic) or by Call Number.
There are three important things to remember about an item in a catalog entry - the location, call # and the status. Once you have determined that the item you need is not checked out (status), look for the book's location, e.g., WCU GENERAL (which would be the ground floor of Hunter Library), and finally, the call number. The call number is what helps you identify the book in the collection. Here is what the catalog entry looks like for the book The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates by Wes Moore.
Want to browse the library's reference section, general collection, or specific subject areas? These call numbers tell you where to go so you can do just that. Click on each one for more detail about each call number range.
Sometimes you will find that items you need are not available at the WCU, UNCA or ASU libraries. In such cases, Hunter Library offers Interlibrary Loan (ILL) Services to all folks affiliated to the university. The following videos show you how to create an ILL account and how to request an item through ILL.
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Cullowhee, NC 28723
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Reference: 828-227-7465
Circulation: 828-227-7485
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