Finding Books
Search for books (both print and electronic) and other materials about your subject using OneSearch.
The location and call numbers for print books are listed with each book. Ebooks will provide a link to an electronic version. For more information, see "Find Books & More."
Print books with the location of "Stacks" are shelved on the Upper Level. Reference and Special Collections books are located on the Main Level. Microforms (microfilm and microfiche) are located next to Special Collections on the Main Level. Audiovisual materials (videocassettes, audio cassettes, LPs, and CDs) are shelved in the Media Centre/Collaboratory on the Main Level.
If you need help finding a book, microform, or audiovisual materials by their call number, please see the staff at the Library Service Desk.
Free Online Ebook Collections
Links to selected free online collections (not library subscriptions):
- The Cambridge History of English and American Literature: contains over 303 chapters and 11,000 pages, with essay topics ranging from poetry, fiction, drama and essays to history, theology and political writing.
- The Complete Works of William Shakespeare: electronic version of the complete works of William Shakespeare.
- Literature for Children: a collection of the treasures of children's literature published largely in the United States and Great Britain from before 1850 to beyond 1950.
Example Searches
You can search for books by form, genre, literary movement, author, title, topic, or other relevant search term. Here are some examples of search strategies. Use quotation marks to search for words in a phrase together.
Examples of subject headings to check:
- Drama -- Technique
- Fiction
- Poetry
Also, names of literary movements, such as:
- "Harlem Renaissance"
- Romanticism
- Symbolism (Literary Movement)
and names of specific authors, such as:
- Atwood, Margaret
- Behn, Aphra
- William Blake
Authors may be searched using first name last name or last name first name.
and particular topic, such as:
- "Canadian Poetry"
- Feminism and Literature
- "Masculinity in Literature"
For help searching, contact Katelyn Browne, the English librarian.
Modified by: Katelyn Browne, B.S., M.S.L.S.
Date Modified: 22-June-2023
Created by Cathy Callaghan B.A, M.L.S., and previously updated by Keltie MacPhail, B.A., M.L.I.S.
Date Created: 4-April-2009