You head to your local public library, looking for a specific book. Once inside, you’re met with shelves upon shelves of books. How on earth are you going to determine if the library has it? With the library catalog, of course!
If you’re new to searching in a library catalog, don’t fear, your friendly neighborhood librarian is here. I’ll walk you through the process step-by-step so you can check out all the library books your heart desires.1
What is a Library Catalog?
First things first, let’s review what a library catalog is. In a nutshell, it’s a comprehensive database consisting of catalog records for all the materials available in a library. Catalog records contain bibliographic information about the materials, such as title, author, publisher, date, subjects, description, and location.
Public libraries own different types of materials in physical and digital formats, including books, serials (magazines, journals, newspapers), audio, video, and even archival records. For this post, we’re focusing on books.
A library catalog, therefore, tells patrons which books the library owns, what format the books are in, where the books are, and if they’re available to check out. Libraries own analog books, which are physical printed books located on the shelves. They also own audiobooks and e-books available through digital platforms like OverDrive/Libby and Hoopla. So. Many. Books!
Accessing a Public Library Catalog
Now, back in olden times, there was the card catalog. Boy, was it a doozie to use. It contained all the bibliographic data on individual cards, which were placed in cabinets in the library.
Thankfully, in the 21st century, we have digital catalogs accessible through the Internet. As a result, you can search a library’s catalog from any device in any location that has access to the web. All you have to do is go to your library’s website and navigate to the catalog.
You can also search the catalog while in the library. Just hop on one of the computers accessible to the public and open the catalog.
While many libraries use similar catalogs, they each have their own quirks. There is also a noticeable difference in the catalogs used by public libraries versus academic libraries. This post focuses on public libraries. To learn about academic libraries, see the post How to Look Up Books in an Academic Library Catalog.
Looking Up Books in a Public Library Catalog
A public library’s catalog is always on its website. It’s usually accessible through a search bar in the header that opens to a larger search screen, or a link in the navigation menu.
Be careful with single search bars in headers—they’re tricky little bastards. Make sure to search only the catalog and not the entire website.
An example is Queens Public Library. To search for a book, I have to limit my search to “Books, Movies, & More.” If not, it will search everything on the library’s website, including archival collections, news releases, calendars, and educational programs.
Now let’s find some books. Library catalogs allow you to search for a specific title, works by a single author, or even browse books by subject. There are so many possibilities!
Searching for Titles and Authors
If you want to find a specific book, type the title into the search bar. The same goes for a particular author—just type their name. Some catalogs have a drop-down menu where you can specify what you’re searching for (title, author, series, subject, keyword, etc.)
If your library’s catalog doesn’t have these options, don’t worry. Just type the title and/or author into the search bar. You can filter later if you want to refine your results.
Browsing by Subject
If you’re in a browsing mood and would like to find books about a specific topic, use some keywords in your search. An example is salem witch trials.
If the catalog has a drop-down menu, be sure it’s set to “Keyword.”
Filtering Your Results
Once you hit search, you’re brought to a search results page listing all the relevant books in the library’s collection. If there are a lot of hits, narrow your search results with filters. They usually appear in a sidebar on the results page.
Common filters include format, author, audience (adult, juvenile, young adult), publication date, language, genre, subject, and availability.
Format is especially important because you can select whether you want a print book, e-book, or audiobook.
Navigating the Catalog Record
The search results page gives you basic information about each book, including title, author, format, language, and availability. That may be enough for many of you.
But if you want the juicy information, you have to go to the catalog record. You can get there by clicking on the book’s title. In some cases, catalogs have a link that says, “View Details”, or something to that effect. Click that instead of the title.
The catalog record has some cool stuff. It contains the full bibliographic record, giving you a lot of information about the book. There’s often a description (usually what’s on the book cover) and book reviews. It also tells you if there are other formats available.
Browsing in the Catalog Record
The catalog record also has subject headings, which librarians assign to books to further categorize them by subject.
They’re a great browsing tool because they always link to another results page listing books with the same subject.
There is also a feature in each catalog record that suggests similar books you might like. These recommendations are a great way to explore the library collection.
If you’d like to get familiar with catalog records, take a look at these two for The Stand by Stephen King: Queens Public Library and Westchester Public Library.
Checking Out Print Books
You’ve searched the library catalog, navigated the catalog record, and selected a print book. Now you have to figure out if you can actually check it out.
Both the full catalog record and the basic information on the search results page tell you if the book is available and how many copies there are to choose from.
In the case of Queens Public Library (QPL), there are 15 copies of The Stand available. Since QPL is a huge library system with a lot of branches, I have to go into the catalog record to see which branches have the book. If it happens to be in my local branch, I can go right in and find the book on the shelf using its call number. If you don’t know how to do this, see How to Find Books in a Library Using Call Numbers.
Public libraries use the Dewey Decimal System (DDC) for classification and call numbers. According to the catalog, the call number for The Stand is FIC King.
Unfortunately, my local branch doesn’t have a copy of The Stand. In this case, I can log in to my account and request that QPL send me a copy from another branch. When it arrives at my chosen pickup location, I simply go and get it. Many large library systems have this service, and I highly suggest you use it!
If the Book is Not Available
If the book is checked out by another patron, the catalog will tell you it’s not available. It might even tell you when the book is due, so you get a sense of when you can get your hands on it.
Don’t despair, though, because you can always place a hold on the book. This means when the patron returns the book, you’ll receive a notification. Sometimes, however, there is a waitlist for the book, and you may not be the first or even second in line. Additionally, in order to place holds, you need a library card and an account.
Finally, sometimes a book is not available because it’s missing. Damn those people who never return library books! We’ll have to get Mr. Bookman on the case.
Checking Out Digital Books
E-books and audiobooks are a bit easier to check out. Similar to print books, the catalog indicates if the book is available. In this case, though, it’s not on a shelf, but is available online.
Public libraries typically use platforms like OverDrive/Libby and Hoopla to check out digital books. You have to download the app and create an account using your library card. Once you check out the book, you can either read it on the platform or download an EPUB or PDF file to a device.
Like print books, sometimes e-books and audiobooks are not available because patrons have checked them out. You can put a hold on the book and be placed on a waitlist. It’s important to note that you must have a library account to do this.
What if they don’t have the book I want?
Sometimes, your library does not have the book you’re looking for. Either it’s missing, or they never owned it to begin with. If you find yourself in this situation, request an Interlibrary Loan. Interlibrary Loan is a wonderful service that allows patrons to borrow books owned by another library.
Now that you’re an expert in using a public library catalog, I wish you many library books in your future!
Footnotes
- Important note: to check out a library book, you must have a library card. To get one, go to your local public library and show proof that you live, work, go to school, or own property in that area. Library cards are free! ↩︎
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