The Library's WebCat (short for "web catalog") is an inventory of everything that's on our shelves, whether you're looking for books, videotapes, maps, etc. It's the same thing as a card catalog--if you remember those--but it's available online, from anywhere that you have access to the Internet.

Knowing the name of the author or the title of the book you're looking for makes finding it easy. Simply select "author" OR "title" from the drop down menu to the left of the search box, type in the author's name OR the title, click the "Search" button, and if the Library owns the book, you'll be presented with information about it.  

However, it will more often be the case that you don't know authors' names or book titles. You'll choose (or be assigned) a subject to research for a class and be expected to find books about that subject. In this case, the easiest way to find books is to enter a word or a few words that describe your topic and simply click on the "Search" button. Again, if the Library has a book or books on your topic, you'll be presented information that will help you find it or them.  If you can't find any books about your topic, read the "Online Searching Tips" page on this website.

From the information given to you about each book, the most important piece is the book's call number, which tells you exactly where the book is located in the Library. The call numbers follow the Library of Congress classification scheme, which determines the order of the books the shelves. (It works like the Dewey Decimal System used by the public and school libraries. Most colleges and universities use the Library of Congress Classification system.) The call number for a book will start with 1-3 letters. The following is a chart of what the first letter in a call number stands for, according to the Library of Congress scheme:

The second (or sometimes there's even a third) letter in a call number narrows down the subject even more. For example, a book with a PR call number is about English literature, and a book with a PS call number is about American Literature.

Write down the call number, the book title, and author for every book that you want to find. Before you head to the stacks, though, be sure to check the Catalog's "Location" for each book. This will tell you in what part of the Library the book is kept, or even if someone else beat you to it and already checked it out. As for the parts of the Library, most books will be in one of two places: the Reference Stacks or the Main Stacks. The Reference Stacks contain books like encyclopedias and dictionaries. These are books that you usually don't need to read cover-to-cover to use, and for that reason, they are for in-Library use only. The Reference Stacks are located to the right as you enter the Library's main entrance. The Main Stacks, which occupy the back half of the Library, are where most books can be found. These books may be checked out. For more information on checking out books, see the "Getting Your HCC Library Card" page on this website.

Both the Reference and Main Stacks have index cards posted on the ends of the rows of bookshelves that will show you what call numbers are placed on their shelves. If you can't find a book, ask a member of the Library's staff for assistance.