About library search

How do I get started?

Library search is the search box on our homepage. We recommend you sign in to:

See all possible results
Place an item on hold
Request an item
Save items and search queries to your favorites list
See your search history

To practice searching and learn about more features, take our interactive tutorial.

What's included in my search?

Our search tool includes print and online content, including articles, books, e-books, book reviews, films, and more.

You can select "Classic" to narrow your results to mimic those returned from a traditional library catalog search (mostly books, journal and newspaper titles, and films).

By default, you'll only see content available through the UA Libraries. But you can expand your results to include items worldwide (that you can then request).

How can I get better results?

Put phrases "in quotes" for more exact searching. Avoid typos.

Use advanced searching and filters, such as publication date and material type, to narrow your results.

Still not finding what you need?

Looking for a specific book or film, try WorldCat, the largest index of books in the world.
Request items from other libraries through interlibrary loan.
A sk us for individual help. We have lots of practice finding things.

See more searching tips.

Where else should I search?

While less comprehensive, specific academic databases sometimes produce more relevant results.

For articles, check:

For videos, check our streaming video databases.

Or you might need more specialized tools. Try finding:

A database by subject or subject guide if you're interested in a particular discipline, such as anthropology or business.
Materials by type if you're looking for a certain format, such as news sources or images.
An item by citation if you are looking for a specific item.