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Biology: Find Books

Bibliography of titles and electronics resources to assist our patrons with biological research

How to find books

  • Search the Shaw University Libraries catalog.
    • By default, the catalog searches for items that Shaw Libraries owns, but you can expand your search to libraries everywhere by checking the Libraries Worldwide check box under Held by Library on the left side of your search results list: See the "Borrowing books from other libraries" box below for information on obtaining books Shaw does not own.
  • Shaw Libraries has access to hundreds of thousands of ebooks, which will appear in your search results.
    • To access one of these ebooks, simply click the View ebook buttonbutton.
    • To include or exclude ebooks from your search, use the Format filter on the left side of your search results list, and either check or uncheck the ebooks box: Ebook filter
  • For tips on searching, see the Get Started tab.

Browsing the Shelves for Books

Books are arranged on the shelf by subject, so if you find a book that's useful, browse around the nearby shelves for related books.

To browse for books on a subject, use this list to find their general location on the shelves. For example, books about microbiology will have call numbers that start with QH.

How to locate a book on the shelf

When you find a book in the library catalog, there is information that tells you where to find it on the library shelves or online. Here is how to understand that information:

Explanation of location info in catalog

And you can always ask library staff for help finding something. We are happy to help!

Finding eBooks

If you are only looking for ebooks, EBSCO's eBooks Academic Collection is a good place to start. View the video below for a basic tutorial. Visit the Using the Library guide for a list of all of our ebook collections.

Borrowing Books from Shaw University Libraries

We encourage all Shaw faculty and staff to visit us at the James E. Cheek Learning Resources Center to borrow items for their research. Your account is created using your Bears Card at the Circulation Desk.

See our Borrowing Materials page for information on check out periods, renewals, and fines.

Borrowing from Other Libraries

To obtain materials that Shaw University Libraries does not own, there are a few options available to you:

  • Shaw University is a member of the Cooperating Raleigh Colleges, which means that Shaw students, faculty, and staff can borrow items at other CRC libraries. Prior to going to one of these libraries, you must pick up the appropriate documentation from the James E. Cheek Learning Resources Center.
  • Interlibrary loan, which ships an item from another library to Shaw for you to borrow. It can take some time for items to arrive as they are sent by USPS mail, and a form is required.

For details and request forms, see the Other Lending Resources guide.

Recommended Biology Texts

For further assistance, please contact us!
Shaw University Libraries - James E. Cheek Learning Resources Center
118 E. South Street - Raleigh, NC 27609
919-546-8407 - shawu.edu/libraries

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